Meeting You
by arrowsofartemis
Summary: Hope Estheim adjusts to life in the new world, and has found all of his old friends, except one: Lightning. When he finally finds her, she has no memories of the old world, and he vows to help her to remember.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! This is a post Lightning Returns fanfic that follows Hope and his experiences. I kinda got this idea of a fic after trying to torture my friend and fellow user Thunder of Friendship. What if Lightning had no memories of the new world? And what if Hope was the one to first find that out?

* * *

It was a warm June day and the sun was shining, yet Hope did not feel the warm rays. In fact, while he was pleasantly warm in his light blue button up shirt and khaki pants, he felt cold on the inside.

Six months. Six months since he first came to the new world that Lightning, him, and everyone that had fought so hard for. The last thing he remembered was flying up in streaks of light of blue and green, going towards Lightning's outstretched arms that waited for him above…

And then he came here. In a place known as France. He woke up, and before he knew what was going on, it was like his body knew what to do. He got dressed, went on the train, and then went to work. He was Hope Estheim, researcher Academia Inc., and he was already rising in the ranks with hopes to become a head researcher. He was born in Orleans, to Nora and Bartholomew Estheim. He went to university in Paris. For a few days, he completely thought this was his life. He was just a researcher.

And then he remembered. He remembered Cocoon, the purge, the fal'Cie that started his journey. Then memories of Light, Sazh, Vanille, Fang and Snow. He remebered becoming a leader of humanity, helping Noel and Serah, and guiding everyone after the chaos flooded. He vividly recalled the loneliness, the phantom, and the pain at Bhunivelze's hands. Then the last thirteen days, guiding Lightning, fading away, and finally Bhunivelze's downfall.

Hope didn't understand at first. Why did he have two sets of memories? His memories of the old world came flooding back, and he recognized the faces of some of his colleagues. But when he questioned them about the old world, they stared at him like he was delusional and gone mad. He quickly realized that most people didn't have memories of the old world. The new world came with a price, and the price was those memories. These people had the same bonds, the same positions as before, but without all the pain of the old world, of the wards that existed. These people were happy, ordinary, and clueless.

But Hope was not happy with that. He did not want to sit in the laboratory day in and day out and be happy with that. He had to find his old comrades.

The first one he found was Serah. Hope's job required lots of research, and many of the times in cooperation or at the University of Paris. When he stepped off the train from Chantilly into Paris, he bumped into Serah. Quite literally. He didn't watch where he was going and he walked straight into her shoulder. When he sputtered an apology, Serah turned and saw him, and her eyes lit up with recognition. They were very close to, how would you say it, "freaking out" about finding each other, but did so quietly in a cafe when they had lunch. It turned out Serah was there studying language arts with hopes of becoming a teacher. Snow was living close by to Paris, and was in contact with Serah.

When Hope talked of his memories of the old world, Serah looked relieved. She revealed that she too, had memories of the old world and so did Snow. She knew that most people did not. The two of them quietly agreed that not knowing of the events and wars were better for everyone, and later that day parted ways.

Hope did lots of tracking. Snow was easy to find from Serah, and then Sazh was found working for an engineering company. Fang and Vanille were next to be found, living in Perpignan near the Spanish border where it was warm. Noel and Yeul proved harder to find, but at last Hope found them in a high school in Lille. He was quite happy to find his parents also well and good living in Toulouse.

However, six months had gone by, and there was no word of Light.

That brought Hope to today. He was in Paris for a summit in recent discoveries in biotechnology, yet his heart wasn't in it. He might've been, back in the days he had no memories of the old world. But seeing how backwards the technology here was compared to Cocoon, made him very bored. The reason he was promoted so swiftly was that he "discovered" and "invented" several advances to the technology, but truth be told, it was just him remembering his old research notes. It also wasn't like he could just introduce several theories, there were tests to be run, experiments to be done, all to prove the theories he already known to exist and work. Research was a rehash of everything he had learned back in Cocoon's high school.

Paris was not new to him, but on this particular Saturday, he walked in the Tuileries Garden, among the green grass, and beautiful fountains. There were multitudes of people milling, children laughing, and tourists pointing at different things and talking in a myriad of world languages. Hope wanted to come here to see the people, to remind himself of the world he had made with everyone. Yet, he was totally alone. He occasionally called Fang, Noel, Sazh and Snow to talk to them, but they had their own lives. Noel was working hard to get into university, Snow was looking for work, Sazh had Dajh to raise, and Fang was settling into her new life with Vanille. Serah was the most accessible and Hope had lunch with her from time to time, but he wished that everyone was closer to him.

 _Light would have liked this_ , Hope thought as he spied the pink water lilies floating serenely in the fountain. One day Light divulged to him her love for flowers, and that her favourites were the roses, magnolias, and water lilies that grew in Bodhum's warm climate. He couldn't help but think of her, and the shade of her rose-coloured hair as he gazed into the water. Hope sighed, ruffled his silver hair, and sat on a bench, looking out onto the park.

He looked again, at the smiling faces to people….

And then it hit him like an electric jolt. He saw it, the unmistakable rose coloured hair that only two people he knew possessed. It waved in the wind, as a slim figure in a white blouse and light white jacket with fashionable jeans walked by on the other side of the park road. He didn't see her face, but he knew the quirk, the way she pushed back her bangs and smoothed them out as her curls blew around the breeze.

It was Light. It was _her_.

Hope's heart pounded, and he leaped off the bench with more energy than he had all month. A grin stretched across his face and his heart felt like it would burst in joy.

"Light!" He shouted as he ran close to her. "Light! It's me!" But the rose-haired woman did not turn around, and for a moment he felt fear. _Could it be that I was mistaken?_ Hope thought. _No I can't be wrong, it has to be her!_

"Light please! It's Hope!" He shouted again, more desperately than before. Was she avoiding him? Thanks to his running, he was caught up, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Light I was looking all around for you—"

The woman turned around. It _was_ Light. The same curls, the same blue eye the colour of the sky. Yet this wasn't Light. The woman standing before him had an open expression, and a smile stretched across her features, as easily as it would've been for a child. There was a dancing mischief in the way her eyes moved, and a twirling grace when she turned around.

"Light, I um, called your name, but I didn't, uh, know if…uh…you heard." Hope stammered awkwardly. Light smiled at him, but it was the polite look of a stranger, and she looked at him quizzically, with her head tilted to one side.

"Sir, don't mind be asking, but who are you?" She said.

"Do…do you not know me?" Hope began to feel cold ice drip down his spine. "Light…I…I'm Hope Estheim."

The women looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry sir, but this is the first time we've met. I think you have the wrong person. My name is Claire."

* * *

Thanks for Reading! If you would review, it would mean a lot!


	2. Chapter 2

In this chapter, Hope finds out more about the person that calls herself Claire. Then he decides to tell the truth to Serah.

There will be some cameos from different Final Fantasy games in this chapter! Don't worry, it won't be a crossover. This is also the first and last time they'll appear, with the exceptions of some passing mentions.

* * *

Hope couldn't move. He was frozen where he stood. The woman in front of him continued to smile politely—the smile of a stranger. _No, this couldn't be!_ He thought. _Light wouldn't forget us…she wouldn't forget me…she can't…_

"Sir?" The woman who was not Light inquired. "Are…are you alright? You look pale."

Hope shook himself, then forced himself to smile. "I…I'm fine. It's just that, y-you look so much like a dear friend of mine I couldn't help but…"

"It's okay." She said, then smiled teasingly. "You look like a child whose lollipop was taken from him. Wow, you must be really disappointed I'm not her."

"I-I…um…I didn't mean…she…you…" Hope stammered while he felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Light, no Claire, her eyes were shifting, twinkling with amusement, but now moving into what seemed like pity.

"She must have meant a whole lot to you, huh?" Claire said sympathetically.

"Yeah, she did." Hope sighed.

"Haven't seen her in a while?"

"Six months, and no word of her at all."

"Wow." Claire breathed, and genuine concern was written in her face; her brows furrowed, and the slight frown slowly spreading. "I'm sorry…no wonder you're disappointed."

Hope shook his head, and a slight smile spread across his face. "No, no it's not your fault. At least, I met someone new, Ms. Claire…"

"Oh! I'm Claire Tonnerre!" She perked up. _Tonnerre_. _No wonder I couldn't find her, I was looking everywhere in the databases for_ Farron. Hope thought.

Claire stuck out her right hand. "What's your name? I'm so impolite not to ask!"

"Oh, I'm Hope Estheim." Hope responded, shaking her hand. Then Claire's face turned surprised, her eyes widened in recognition and her mouth opened slightly. Hope felt a flurry of happiness, thinking that maybe his name stirred some memories of hers.

"Mr. Estheim?" She squeaked. "I do know you!"

Hope felt his heart would burst with happiness.

"I'm a reporter for Le Cadran Solaire. I'm here to interview all the scientists here this week for the conference!" She went into her brown messenger bag, and scrounged up a pen and notepad. "And I need to interview you!"

It was that moment Hope's heart broke in two.

* * *

Hope went back to his hotel room that evening, after parting ways with Claire. It was easy to talk to her, her easy smile and soft voice made him spill all his opinions on the advances of where he worked and his thoughts on the conference. Although it would be easy for him to take the train back to Chantilly, his company decided that staying in a hotel would be more efficient than going home every day.

Hope unlocked the door, threw himself onto his bed, and covered his eyes with his arm. Tears stung the back of his eyes, and he let out a heavy, broken sigh. After six months, _six months_ , he found Light. And she didn't remember anyone. This new person, Claire, barely spoke of herself, and when he asked if she had any siblings, she said she didn't.

Hope bit back a growl of frustration. Even people who didn't remember their past had the same relations to their old world counterparts. Hope's coworkers, though sparse between French speaking regions such as Switzerland, Quebec, and Belgium, still were his coworkers. And they had the families that were the same. What's so different about Light? She had completely new relationships than before, and even her own sister would be a stranger to her.

Serah. Serah needed to know about this. Hope swallowed his self-pity, rubbed his eyes, and reached for his phone, finding Serah's number. Serah would be at home, also back in Chantilly, now that summer break would've started for her. The phone rang, and Serah picked up.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey Serah. It's Hope." He responded.

"Hope! It's been ages since you called! Vanille was just complaining about how hard it is to stay in touch with you." Serah chirped, her voice with a teasing and happy edge. Normally Hope would've played along, but today, he couldn't.

"What is it? Me and Snow are missing you back home."

"I have good and bad news." He ground out.

"Good and bad news?" Serah mused. "Hope, are you alright?"

"Serah, I found Lightning." Hope sighed.

"What? You find my sister?! Hope this is great news, but why do you—"

"Serah, please listen—she doesn't remember us." A couple of silent seconds passed.

"Huh? What do you mean she doesn't…how…?" Serah sounded shocked over the phone. "I…I need to sit down, and you need to explain."

"Remember when I first came here, I was confused as to who I was? I only remembered my daily life, and the basics of who I was. And while I knew I had friends and family, I only remembered everything a month later?" He started slowly.

"Yes, but it's been six months…" She responded, sounding a bit weary as to where he was going with this.

"I think Light is confused too. You, Sazh, Yeul, Fang, and Vanille didn't take that long to remember everything. Snow took about three weeks, and Noel was about the same. I was more than a month. Me and Light were the ones who were touched by Bhunivelze the strongest…I…I…" Hope couldn't continue any more. While he blessedly had no memories of the 169 years at the hands of the god of Light, he remembered the hellish days when the chaos first flooded, images of a ghost that enticed him…

Hope gritted his teeth. He would not remember that phantom, it was not real. Light was real, this was really Lightning, he'd found her, Claire was Light for sure, for sure…

"I understand." Serah soothed. "You think she needs time to recover. But what does she know?"

"I didn't get too much time to talk." Hope answered. "All I know is that she thinks she's Claire Tonnerre, and a reporter working for a paper."

"Does she know who I am? Does she think she has a sister?" Serah's voice turned to steel.

"Serah…"

"Hope, answer me." Serah commanded. Hope shivered in fright. It was this tone of voice he was most terrified of when he had to work with Serah after Cocoon's collapse. Stern and stiff, she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"She doesn't remember any of us, and she doesn't think she has a sibling." He blurted out.

"Hope, I want to see my sister. Right now."

"Uh—"

"I said _right now_ , Hope! I want to see her!" Serah nearly shouted.

Hope braced himself. He hated his next words, but he had to be honest. "Serah, that's not a good idea."

"What do you mean, _not a good idea_?" Serah demanded.

"It's just that…we have to remember…Claire isn't the Light we knew." Hope whispered. "If she suddenly sees someone who looks like her, and she doesn't know why…Don't you think it'll be too much of a shock to Light if we just showed her someone she resembled so strongly? And then you tell her you're her sister?""

"We could scare her off…forever…" Serah sobbed. "Hope, please tell me you have a plan."

"I do…just. I want to take Claire around, show her the old gang, and take her around to places that remind her of home, pray that she actually starts remembering." Hope admitted. "But Serah…because you're her sister, and you look so much alike…and…I hate to say this. but…" He trailed off, not sure how she'd take this.

Hope heard the sound of Serah weeping through the phone, hiccuping sobs and wails. It broke his heart to say the last words. "…I need you to see her last."

For a few minutes, Hope listened to the sound of Serah crying, and tears struck his eyes again. "Serah, I'm sorry, I—"

"Hope, I understand." She sniveled, but otherwise sounded better. "Just…make sure my sister is okay."

"I know. I will." He spoke softly in understanding.

"What if…what if she's not meant to remember?" Serah cried out.

"What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrowed at this notion.

"What if…she doesn't remember us…has no connections to us…because it's better?" Serah sobbed, and Hope listened to her sniffles in between. "What if that's why…she has no memories?"

"Serah please." Hope begged. "If it was any of us, Light would _never_ give up on us. We can't give up on her."

"You're right." Serah said. "If she starts remembering, we'll know you're right."

"I know." He nodded, and a few moments passed in silence, a bit of relief replacing the heavy dread that choked him before.

"Hope?" Serah's voice came in through the speaker, trembling as she spoke.

"Yes?"

"Please. Make sure she's happy. Even if she doesn't remember us." She rasped out between sob.

"I will. I promise."

* * *

The meeting was finally over, Hope sighed as he rolled his shoulders and walked towards the exit of the congress hall. There would be a few meetings here and there next week, but he didn't need to take part in them, and his boss told him to take a break, which he gladly agreed to.

"Mr. Estheim!" A voice called to him from behind, and he turned around to see Claire walking towards him. She was wearing a short-sleeved, buttoned blouse with frills and a black pencil skirt, and her hair loose. Her heels made a gentle clacking sound on the floor.

"Hello, Ms. Tonnerre." He smiled.

"Please, call me Claire." She smiled back.

"Then please do me the favour and call me Hope." Hope reached his hand out. "To make up for the bad beginning we both had."

"It wasn't all that bad!" Claire laughed, and then shook his hand. "Besides, I'm here today to do a little more follow up on your opinion on genetically modified–"

"Claire!" A cheerful voice chirped, and the two of them turned to see a blonde young man, wearing a teal dress shirt and green tie, practically bouncing towards them. He held a stack of papers, a clipboard tucked under his arm, and an earpiece. He was a little taller than Claire, and there was a boyish look to him. He shot them both a dazzling grin as he stopped before them, and Hope couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh, you again." Claire mock-groaned at the sight of the young man. "Why are you always here?"

"Anything to be in the presence of a lovely young woman." He drawled. "I have to say, you look finer than the weather we're having." Then he winked at her.

 _He winked. He had the nerve to actually wink at her_. Hope felt his eye twitch.

"Please stop." Claire had put her hand on her face and covered her eyes.

"Hey I haven't even started quoting Shakespeare yet!" The blond protested. "Ahem. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day–"

"Zidane, no. Stop it right now." Claire commanded.

Zidane pouted. "Okay, but admit it, I made a good Puck."

"Yes you did. You nailed that part in _A Midsummer's Night Dream_." Light commended, and Zidane gave another dazzling grin.

Hope was beginning to feel a bit left out, and maybe a little miffed that this guy was talking more easily to Claire than he ever did. He felt uneasy, and a little annoyed, and it had _absolutely nothing_ to do with the fact that the blond was savvy, or flirting with Light, or handsome…

Zidane looked at Hope's face, and turned to say: "Oh but where are my manners? I haven't even introduce myself." He stuck out a hand. "I'm Zidane, I also work for Le Cadran Solaire."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Hope Estheim." Hope plastered on a stiff smile, and shook his hand. So this guy _knew_ Claire and _worked_ with her too?

"You wouldn't be here if you didn't have something for me." Claire said.

"Nonsense, who says I'm not just here because I enjoy your presence?" Zidane winked again. _Again_. "Anyways…I do have something for you."

"Oh boy." Claire rolled her eyes.

"Spiky wanted me to give you this list, and to make sure all the interviews you've done are checked off." Zidane said as he handed Claire the clipboard. "Grumpy says you have his favourite pen, and he wants it back."

Claire checked off the list, and then handed Zidane the clipboard and a silver pen. "Gives this back to Cloud, and say thanks to Squall for me. He saved my life when my pen ran out."

"No problem!" He chirped. "Also, Drama Queen told me that your reports were well done, and if you turn in your paper today, he's going to give you 'work' for the next week." Zidane air quoted the word "work" with his free hand.

"You're uncontrollable. I don't want to know what you're calling me behind my back."

"You're special. I call you by your name." Zidane looked mockingly serious and put his hand out while the one that was holding a clipboard was placed over his heart. "Ahem….'there is a rose…and I think she might have tamed me…'"

"Oh stop quoting stuff." Claire scorned. "And tell your brother thanks, but it won't be necessary."

"Alright, alright." Zidane chuckled. "I will be off. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Estheim. You should drop by sometimes Claire." Zidane walked closer, and _kissed Claire on the cheek_.

How dare he do something like that! Hope was basically seconds away from strangling the young man before he bounced off again. It was even worse, when Zidane struck him a genuine pitiful "oh I'm so sorry you can't talk to her properly" look.

He wanted to strangle him so badly.

"You must not hang around kids enough." Claire mused. "You looked like you wanted to run away when Zidane came."

"What…how old is he?" Hope asked. _A kid_?

"Zidane's sixteen, but he has an ego that gives him six more years." Claire sighed, but her tone was affectionate. Then Hope felt vaguely ashamed; he got jealous over a kid. No matter how charming and handsome he was, it was still just a kid. "He works as an intern for the paper since his brother's in charge of this division, but he wouldn't in any other position because he's only in lycée. He helped me out when I first came here, and shows everyone around the place because he knows it so well. Talented actor too."

"Oh, well. It's not like I don't like kids, but the one I worked with…" Hope shuddered.

"Was he that bad?" Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Not really. This kid is a student of a German coworker I have, is the same age, and kinda looks like Zidane too. And get this: He got into university at the age of twelve, and he graduated this year." Hope explained.

Claire's jaw dropped. "That's amazing! Guess you're not the only child prodigy."

Hope felt embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not that great…"

"Of course you are." Claire waved it off. "But what's so bad about this kid?"

"He dresses like a punk and is terrifying." Hope explained. "He has the shortest temper I have ever seen, completely rebellious, and never listens to anything anyone says. It's a good thing he's such a genius at biochemistry, and his accuracy with everything is almost perfect, otherwise he'd be such a pain to work with."

"Well, he seems like quite a colourful character." Claire laughed.

"Oh he is. Mind telling me how you met Zidane?" Hope asked. Then his stomach growled loudly.

"Sure, I'll tell you. But how about we walk and talk while we find somewhere to eat and finish the interview?" Claire suggested, and Hope flushed, nodding. "I'm normally stationed in Marseilles for reporting, since they needed people there, and it's also my hometown. I got an intern for the last year of university with the paper, and I was sent to do a little travelling and getting used to the job with my coworker, Cloud, in Paris. It was also spring break for the students in lycee, and Zidane was charged in showing me around. I did such a good job at interning that when I graduated, the paper offered me a job."

"That's really nice." Hope commented. Then he spotted by the exit two tall, young men, around his age, holding clipboards and recorders. One had spiky blonde hair and blue eyes, the other one had brown hair, and gray-blue eyes with a perpetual frown on his face. They were both handsome, and attractive. _Why is Claire hanging around all these good-looking guys_? "Are those your coworkers?"

"Yup." Claire affirmed. "How could you tell? 'Spiky and Grumpy'?"

"That…had something to do with it." He admitted. The pair of reporters noted him and Claire, and walked towards them.

"Claire," the blond one, Cloud, nodded to her. He looked serious, but put on a polite smile for Hope. "And Mr. Hope Estheim, your speech on new advances on DNA replication was fantastic. I completely enjoyed–"

"Hey Cloud," Squall grumbled, looking apologetic for interrupting them. "I just got a call from the boss. Zack called in sick. You're gonna have to interview Mr. Loire now."

Cloud groaned. "Why me?"

"Hey, I'm stuck with Mr. Hughes. This is what happens when the good-tempered person of your team calls in sick. You have to deal with all of these chipper fellows." Squall looked apologetic again. "My apologies for the interruption and not introducing myself. But I have to go." Hope and Squall shook hands.

"My apologies as well." Cloud said. "I shall have to head out."

"Not a problem, it was nice meeting you." Hope and Cloud shook hands.

"Claire, don't forget to turn in your report by next Tuesday." Cloud reminded her as he turned to go.

"Don't worry!" She called to him, then turned to Hope. "Shall we go? I know this cafe we can go to. It's within walking distance."

"Of course." Hope said, and the two started exiting the building into the fair weather outside. "All of you reporters seem to know strangely a lot about the science."

"Oh, that's specifically why we were chosen to do some reporting here." Claire said. "Cloud did a biology and communications double major in university, and Squall did a chemistry and language major. I did a biochemical engineering and journalism degree in university. We all have some sort of background, and I do a lot of science reporting."

"That's really impressive!" Hope remarked. "Where did you go to university?"

"I went to University of Nice Sophia Antipolis. Good school, close enough to Marseilles too." She replied.

"Don't mind me asking, but if you did engineering, why did you go into journalism?" Hope asked.

"I…I like traveling." She said. "I never got to do it much as a kid. Also, I have the feeling I'm looking for something, but I can't place my finger on it, and journalism helps me search."

Hope's breath caught. _Is Light searching for us in her own way_?

"Oh look! Here we are!" Claire pointed to a cafe across the street.

Hope stood shocked, and his mouth went dry… because the cafe's name was called The Ark.

* * *

A/N: Hooray! New chapter! And it's about twice as long as the first!

You'll have to forgive me for inserting Zidane into the story, however briefly. I'm playing FFIX right now and this guy pratically stole my heart. I really wanted some warm interaction between characters, since Light really never had any affectionate ones in game, with a few exceptions of maybe Fang and Vanille. So I wanted to give her some. Plus, jealous Hope was really fun to write hohoho. Cloud and Squall I picked to be Light's coworkers, because they all had weather related names. Zack, and two other FF chars get mentions, can you guys who they are?

Also bonus for whoever knows who the angry German kid is!

Just a bit of a note on France and the French used. "Le Cadran Solaire" literally manes "The Sundial" in English. I had to name a paper for a project in French class and that's what I used…because I'm lazy and I can't think of another title. Claire mentions that Zidane goes to lycée, which is a rough equivalent to high school in NA terms, but from grades 10-12. There's a similar education system in Quebec, Canada as well. University of Nice Sophia Antipolis is actually a real university! Also pretty high ranking in the country. I chose Marseilles as Claire's hometown since it's like Bodhum: A warm, seaside town that's a tourist trap.

Zidane quotes Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 and Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "The Little Prince". Since "The Little Prince" is a huge cultural influence in France, and Zidane is meant to be a savvy little guy, I wanted to add a little reference to that.

Anyways, thanks for reading! If you took time to comment on my stories, it'd mean a lot!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, this is gonna be a long, long chapter. Also thank you for the reviews, but please try to be patient with me. I do a lot of research and I make an effort to make this accurate.

Thanks to thunder of friendship for helping me edit this, as usual!

* * *

Hope was staring at his phone like it was some sort of vicious animal. Not that his phone was threatening, but his plan to help Light get her memories back all hinged on one thing: if she was willing to take a little vacation for him.

And he had to call her.

Normally Hope would swing up the telephone, and yap into it with no problem. Strangers? Not a problem. Angry coworkers? Been there. Calling world renown scientists? Done it. Lightning?

Big problem. Huge problem.

Mostly because this Lightning wasn't exactly the Light he knew, and had no idea if she even wanted to be around him. _Come on Hope Estheim, you're twenty-seven years old; you are an adult. With a job_. _Hell, think about how you met Claire—just kinda grabbed her off the streets._ He chastised himself mentally, while pacing and looking guiltily at his phone. He felt bouncy and nervous. _Just think of her as Light. Come on, if that Zidane kid could talk to her so easily then you can too_. _She's the one that gave you the number. Come on, Hope Estheim, don't be a baby_.

After more mental groaning, Hope stopped pacing and stared at his phone. Then he slowly, and hesitantly, opened up the contacts and pressed Claire's number. After a deep breath, he pressed the call button.

Instantly his heart speeded up and all he could think was _what have I done?!_

"Hello? Hope?" Claire said.

"Uh-yeah, um…hi! It's um…Hope! How…uh…are you doing?" Hope stammered. _Real smooth, Hope Estheim,_ real _smooth_.

"No need to get so nervous," Claire laughed. "It's only little old me! Now, why did you call me?"

Hope sighed with relief as Claire's easy manner made his little spiel smooth over. "So, um, I was wondering if you finished your paper."

"Oh I did!" Claire responded. "And Zidane's basically forcing me to take a vacation. 'You work too hard! Spend some time with friends!' is what he said to me."

"Well…the thing is…" Hope began. "I have some friends that are coming over to Paris for the next few days, and since you mentioned you haven't been around all that much, I was wondering if you were interested in coming…"

"What, Mr. Estheim? Already interested in me?" Claire teased.

"Well, uh…th-that is to say…I…um…just…ah…" Hope sputtered, feeling his face burning up.

"It's okay, I'm only joking. I'd love to come."

"That's fantastic! Do you want me to pick you up? Which hotel are you staying at?"

"I'm staying at the same hotel you're at, Hope. I'm in the floor below." Claire chuckled, and Hope felt increasingly more and more embarrassed. "I see you in the mornings, but your head is always stuck into those research papers."

"…I'll try to be more attentive next time." Hope mumbled.

"Don't sweat it. So? Where are we going?" Claire asked.

"I'm taking them to Bois du Boulogne." Hope said. "Lots of flowers, plus there's a zoo. It's a good attraction for them."

"Sounds nice. Never been there but I can definitely like it! So what are their names?"

"They're called Noel and Yeul."

"Great! I'll be there." Claire replied. "See you tomorrow!"

"See you!" Hope said. He put down his phone, and tried not to jump around like a five year old kid around his hotel room. Things were going well. 

* * *

_He saw it, a flash, in the corner of his eye. He barely could make out anything, except for the sudden appearance of rose-coloured hair. Then he shook his head, he had to be tired. After all, he was looking back on some old pictures of Lightning, and he didn't sleep the night before. It couldn't be real._

 _Then one day, his comrades started disappearing. All of them said something about a rose-haired phantom. And Hope saw it too, the flashes of rose-coloured hair were getting more vivid. He could make out blue eyes, sharp chin, button nose…_

 _Lightning. It was Lightning. Who could it be? It looked just like her, and in Hope's dreams, all that he could see was Lightning. Lightning protecting him, Lightning charging at a behemoth, Lightning in Palumpolum, Lightning fighting in Valhalla...Lightning frozen in crystal. With each dream the phantom was getting more vivid. It was there when he woke up, when he worked, when he went home again. She was always there, watching, sometimes talking, but not really._

 _"_ _Come on, Hope, come with me." The Phantom would say._

 _"_ _No, you've been stealing my comrades." He would say._

 _"_ _I thought you missed me, Hope. Don't you miss me? Don't you miss Lightning?"_

 _"_ _I miss Lightning but it's not you."_

 _Again and again she would come._

 _"_ _Come on, Hope, come with me. I'll never leave you."_

 _"_ _You're not her, and you aren't real."_

 _"_ _Of course I'm real!" She chuckled, and put her arms around him. "You can feel me can't you?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _You can hear me, right?"_

 _"_ _Then how am I not real? Is it so hard to believe that I'm the Lightning you always knew?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _And Hope kept dreaming of Lightning. He was reliving the past in his dreams, but the dreams quickly turned into nightmares. Instead of the past, he was grown up. He saw Lightning being swallowed by chaos, her face panicked, wisps of hair flying in the wind. He ran towards her, and tried to grab her hand, but he never could. All she did was fall into the abyss._

 _And yet another dream. He was standing outside of the ruins of Valhalla that somehow inhabited the wildlands. And then he was inside, he finally saw the room to Etro's throne, and there was a figure, it was Lightning-_

 _And the figure was cracked into pieces. Hope fell onto his knees, but he saw someone beside him comforting him. "It's okay, Hope…I'm here…" It was her voice, Light's voice. A calm washed over him. Then he opened his eyes. Where was he? Why was the phantom in his dreams?_

 _He was outside, he was in the wildlands, but not in Valhalla. There was a laugh, and he saw the phantom again. He shook his head, then a chill ran down his spine. He no longer knew fiction from reality._

 _"_ _Come on, Hope, come with me." She grabbed his hand._

 _"_ _I can't, I'm working."_

 _"_ _It's not a question of can or can't."_

 _"_ _I can't."_

 _He saw her, as clear as day. He reached out to touch her hand, and the phantom smiled, a mysterious, but warm smile that he knew. He reached out to touch her face, and her smile widened, but he shrank back._

 _The chaos was getting out of control. The ark was getting destroyed, Snow shut himself away, Noel was making himself rarer every day, and his comrades were limited to three._

 _Then one day, his last comrade disappeared. He cried out, falling down, all of his determination drained from him. The phantom put her arms around him, and he let her. He wept into her shoulder as she comforted him and enveloped him in a warm embraced. And he let it happen._

 _"_ _Come on Hope, come with me." She murmured as she stroked his hair._

 _"_ _Okay."_

 _And all he saw was a blinding light._

Hope Estheim woke with a start, his heart racing. He was drenched in cold sweat, his hands tangled around his sheets. _Not again_ , he thought, _not the rose-haired phantom, not just when I met Claire, not when I found Lightning…_

After a bit of hesitation, Hope put his hands in his face, and allowed himself to cry.

* * *

"Hope!" Noel shouted as he ran towards him. Noel was looking more youthful than he ever did before, wearing a black graphic tee, dark blue jeans, and converse sneakers, brown hair swaying. He was still wearing his Pulsian necklace, along with bracelets of thin leather and beads. For once, he actually looked like a teenager, his blue eyes sparkling with a light Hope hadn't seen in years. "Missed you a lot!" Then Hope was being strangled by Noel's ever muscular arm as he came in for a big hug.

"Missed...you...too...let...go…" Hope wheezed out, as Noel laughed and loosened his death grip. Yeul was behind him, giggling into her hand. "How are you doing, Yeul?"

"Quite well, thank you, Hope." Yeul said politely. She looked as youthful as Noel did, in a white sleeveless blouse, a simple floral skirt with a thin belt, and she carried a small messenger bag. Her blue hair shone, her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were a healthier flush than the pallid complexion that Hope had seen her with normally.

"I'm surprised you didn't get lost on the way." Hope commented. "Paris is a big place!"

"Come on Hope, you're talking to a hunter here!" Noel grinned, as he raised his fist and pumped it in the air, and Hope smiled at his old habit. "I can hunt down anything, this garden was a cinch!"

"I'm glad you could make it. You two are looking good." Hope noticed. "Healthy, happy...guess being in love does help."

Noel and Yeul grinned sheepishly as they held hands and looked at each other. "Not looking bad yourself, Hope." Noel laughed.

Hope glanced down at the casual light blue polo shirt and khaki cargo shorts he was wearing with his running shoes. He shrugged. "Thanks."

"So...we're meeting a special someone, right?" Noel said, cutting straight to the chase.

"Sorry I didn't er, tell you about the plan beforehand." Hope sighed.

"What? About Lightning?" Noel shook his head, and shared a sad smile with Yeul. "Come on, Hope. Light gave us this future, it's the least we can do, hanging out with her. Even if she lost her memories."

"That's more of a reason to help her." Yeul whispered. "Defeating Bhunivelze, bringing us salvation. Bringing Lightning's memories back is a small payback for all that she's done for us."

"Thank you, both of you." Hope said sincerely.

"Oh look! Here she comes!" Noel chirped, as he pointed to an approaching figure. Hope squinted. Noel must've had better vision because he could hardly make out the woman marching forth. As she got closer, Hope saw her rose-coloured hair, but unexpectedly felt a pang in his chest.

"Hey, buddy." Noel mumbled into his ear. "Try to look a little less stiff." Hope immediately tried to go for a smile, but he swore there was a _still stiff_ coming from Noel, which he ignored.

When Claire smiled, a genuine smile came on Hope's face. _The rose-haired phantom was an illusion created by Bhunivelze. But Claire is real_... _Claire is real...Claire is real_. He looked appreciatively at her, and in her beige tank top, with a white vest, and tan skirt, her outfit resembled her Guardian Corp uniform. .

"Hello, Hope!" She greeted, the turned to Noel and Yeul. "Hi, I'm Claire Tonnerre. I assume you are Noel and Yeul?"

"Yup!" Noel said, sticking out his hand, and shaking hers. "Pleased to meet you! I'm Noel Kreiss!"

"And I'm Yeul Nsu." Yeul introduced herself, shyly putting up her hands, a bit stiffly, while Claire gave her a sweet smile as she shook it. Yeul visibly relaxed at the sight.

"It's nice to meet you. You seem to have a bit of accent, where are you from?" Claire implored.

Noel struck an amused glance at Yeul and said: "We're from New Brunswick. From a town so small it's barely on the map. We recently moved to France."

"We're here because our families moved here." Yeul added. "Noel is going to start university in the fall, and I'll be starting lycee."

"University? What for?" Claire asked.

"Environmental studies and ecology." Noel replied with a proud grin.

"That's nice!" Claire commented. "How did you two youngsters even meet an old man like Hope?"

"Hey!" Hope snapped indignantly.

"Oh, I met him in Canada a few years ago." Noel chuckled. "He was younger then, but still so serious and uptight."

"I bet." Claire chuckled back, a devilish smirk on her face. "He's an old soul. Was he this gray back then too?"

"Totally. He's been prematurely gray for his whole life." The two of them shot each other smirks and laughed.

Hope wasn't sure if he wanted to run away, scream into his hands, or strangle Noel. Maybe all three.

"Hey guys," Yeul prodded Noel gently. "Maybe we should stop teasing Hope. He _is_ the one bringing us on the trip today." Hope shot her a grateful glance. Noel put his hands in the air and smiled at him, to which Hope glared back.

"So, Mr. Estheim, where are we going?" Claire danced in front of him.

"Come on, just call me Hope." He groaned. "Anyways, since we're at the north entrance of Bois de Boulogne, let's go to the zoo at Jardin d'Acclimatation. "

* * *

"...I do enjoy animation, and I've been into Japanese ones lately…" Hope listened to the distant sounds of Noel and Claire striking a conversation. Surprisingly, they were pretty chatty together, and talked about everything, from music, to movies, to _anime_. As far as Hope knew, these two didn't know each other that well, but somehow they struck a chord with each other, seemingly already trustful and friendly.

 _Why is every guy better at talking to Light than I am?!_

They were marching down the path near Chateau de Bagatelle, on their way to the rose garden that Yeul requested that they see. The sun of summer was blocked out through the wide green leaves of the outstretched trees, and he heard the distant sound of birdsong. It was a pleasant sort of warmth, and though Hope was annoyed at Noel, a smile was brought to his face.

Surprisingly, Yeul was his companion through the walk from the bus stop to the rose garden. She offered him an apologetic smile and rolled her eyes at Noel and Claire's backs as they marched forward with much gusto, something both him and Yeul lacked. Hope gave a small smile back, and they continued to walk behind the more athletic pair. Hope was half-listening to the sound of Noel and Claire's chatter, and half seeking the actual garden.

"...the phantom leaves roses behind…" Hope heard Claire said, and stopped dead in his tracks, feeling as if he'd been thrown into ice water. He felt panicked, and gave a wild glance to Claire. _She's real, she's real, she's realshe'srealshe'sreal_

"Hope, are you alright?" Claire rushed over with concern drawn on her features, her eyebrows furrowed, and eyes widened. Noel turned back, also looking worried.

"Yeah...sure...just, what were you talking about?"

"Phantom of the Opera." Claire frowned. "Do you have an aversion to it or-"

"Childhood trauma, you could say." Hope explained lamely.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Claire apologized, looking down. Then she took his hands, and Hope felt a jolt of electricity from them. "I didn't know."

"It's...it's okay." Hope said sheepishly, feeling a blush creeping up his neck onto his cheeks. "Besides, uh-"

"How long are you lovebirds gonna keep doing that?" Noel joked, and they promptly let go of each other's hands. While Hope was fully blushing, Claire only gave him a teasing smile and danced ahead of them all. While he was still frozen, out of embarrassment, not fear, Noel shot him a serious glance, then jabbed a finger at him from the air three times. _We'll talk later_ was what the gesture meant.

"Here we are!" Yeul announced, a little breathily. Hope could see why, the rose garden was beautiful.

The paths weren't paved, but rather filled with pebbles, framed with small bushes that were carefully preened to straight lines that bordered the roses. There were arches, covered with living green of climbing roses, their unfurling petals hung like decorations. Roses of every shape and colour graced the shrubs they lived on, giving their fragrance and beauty to those who walked into the garden. Each bloom looked like a ballroom gown, and the sight of so many roses was dazzling.

Yeul and Claire looked on, both their mouths perfect o's of delight, eyes stretched wide to take in all the sight. Noel was also unabashedly amazed, leaning near the edges of the pathway, trying to take in the smell of roses. There were quite a few tourists, milling around and taking pictures, but the beauty of the garden was too distracting for it to really matter. Hope was less concerned about the flowers, but more about Claire. "Flowers are ephemeral…" Hope recalled from somewhere, but there was something ethereal about Claire in her dress. He was afraid she was going to fade away anytime, and that the phantom was real.

Hope was troubled with the thought, until he noticed that Yeul was with Noel just before him and not walking along him, and now Claire was standing beside him with a mischievous smile. "Oh, hello, Claire."

"This seems almost familiar." She sighed, but smiled at him again. "You, me, walking around in the greenery…stirs up old memories for some reason."

 _Is she remembering the Grapra Whitewood?_ Hope thought. "Well, let's just hope there aren't any monsters or secret police hunting us down." He joked lamely.

For a moment Claire's eyes sharpened, a wary expression came around her face. Her back stiffened, and eyes darted suspiciously behind the rose bushes. She stepped protectively near him, continuously eyeing passing tourists. Hope shuddered inwardly. The easy smile and relaxed air was replaced by a cold, fierce expression. This was _Lightning_ and not _Claire_.

"There better not be, not while I'm around." She near nigh growled the words out.

"Woah!" Hope said, putting his hands up. "I'm only joking!"

Claire looked confused, then the tense expression dropped, and the relaxed one came back in. She shook her head, and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was thinking."

"Woah!" Exclaimed Noel, Hope turned around to see the normally graceful and lithe hunter skidding away as a stream of children ran past him. Noel jumped around unceremoniously, trying to get away from the tiny figures, until one rammed straight into the already unbalanced teen...

...sending him careening straight into Claire as they made a plummet for the rose bushes.

Hope's mouth stretched open with surprise as he tried to grab either of the two's hands. However, somehow the two managed to find balance by themselves, gasping as they saved themselves from a rather thorny experience.

"That was close!" Noel breathed, as he stretched up, and turned to Claire. "You okay there?"

"Perfect. Gymnastics really helps you find balance." Claire chuckled. "You went down yourself, but did you have to try and kill me?"

Noel flinched back, face draining of blood and looking incredibly pale. "I...I'm sorry...I…"

Claire simply smiled and shook her head. "No need to get so shell shocked, I was only joking." She then danced away and continued on her merry way.

Hope glanced at Noel, who was still standing with a frozen shocked expression. He tried to catch his eye, but Noel only looked down.

"Hey!" Yeul shouted. "There's a collection of fragrant roses!"

Hope made his way towards her, smelling the fragrance...but then started to sneeze. And then another. And another. Claire, Yeul and Noel both chuckled as he had his sneezing fit, and then he waved a hand at them. "Guys, go on without me, I don't think I can handle this. Sensitive sinuses, you see."

Noel made it towards him, and clapped him on the back. "How about you two lovely ladies go on ahead. I'll go with Hope and see if we can find some drinks." He gave Yeul an almost imperceptible nod.

"Alright. Come on, Claire." Yeul grabbed Claire's hand, and nodded back to Noel. Before Claire could say anything, Yeul was already dragging her away, with more gusto than Hope had ever seen from her.

Noel gave Hope a gentle shove as they made their way outside the garden away from the fragrance of the roses. Once they made it near the main road, Noel stopped and said: "Was the sneezing intentional?"

Hope gave Noel a withering look. "Give me a _little_ more credit than that. You wanted to talk in private."

"Always the man with the plan." Noel grinned, then looked around. "This world...it doesn't seem like our cycle of souls just got dumped on it...it has too much. It has wildlife, it has plants, it has civilization and culture that none of us could have brought. I wonder how it was made?"

"Maybe by defeating Bhunivelze, we somehow changed the past of this world." Hope shrugged.

"You change the future, you change the past." Noel sighed. "Caius told me that once. Maybe by changing a future where Bhunivelze no longer exists, the past changed too.

Then Noel narrowed his eyes at Hope. "Okay, spill. What's going on with you?"

"More like, what is going on with you!" Hope retorted. "Your face went slack with shock when you nearly pushed Claire into the rose bushes. What happened?"

Noel's blue eyes flickered with guilt, and he took a few steps away from Hope and looked down. "I...tried to kill Light back in the old world." He rasped out. "I was afraid she suddenly remembered. I don't think a simple apology was gonna cut it with her. And she's the reason I have another chance with Yeul...I wouldn't know what to say to her if she confronted me. I can't forgive myself."

"But that's just me." Noel's voice turned more steely, and met Hope in the eye. "My guilt is my own, and even if Light only remembers the bad parts of me, then I'm glad to have helped her in some way. I don't know Light that well. Hell, I think our total conversation time can't even amount to twenty minutes. But you, I know you well." Noel came closer, with a determined expression, and grabbed both of Hope's shoulders. "You cared about Light a whole lot, more than most people, probably the most after Serah. Maybe even as much as her. How are you dealing with this?"

Hope shook off Noel's arms and stalked a few steps away, turning his back away.

"You keep looking at Claire like she's gonna disappear." Noel commented. "Sometimes you look at her dreamily, like you used to look at Light's photographs, and sometimes you look at her like she's your worst nightmare."

Hope looked at the sky, willing Noel to stop talking. But Noel continued relentlessly.

"You flinched at 'rose' and 'phantom.'" Noel said. "You also mentioned a false Lightning to Snow once, and then you disappeared. Was that how Bhunivelze captured you?"

Hope's temper flared higher, and he cursed Noel for having such an inborn intuition to put two and two together. His cleverness and resourcefulness were both his best points, and most irritating flaw.

"Answer me, Hope." Noel pressed. "Did Bhunivelze use an image of Light to drive you to him?"

Instead of anger, something in Hope broke. He couldn't bare to tell anyone what happened to him, and it was relief that flooded him, relief that at last, someone understood. He knew, Noel would understand. Noel, who loved Yeul enough to hold onto her memory for centuries. Noel, who loved Yeul enough to be driven mad just by the promise they would be together. Noel, who would do anything to find a brighter future. Hope shamefully nodded his head, and wiped at the tears stinging his eyes.

Noel did not laugh, nor tease. He only silently came behind Hope, and patted his shoulder a few times. "I knew she meant a lot to you. Up until now, I didn't know how much."

"She was planning to sacrifice herself, you know." Hope said suddenly.

"Wha-" Noel started, but Hope cut him off.

"She told me, that if indeed the oracle drive visions about a brighter future were true, then you should've killed her." Hope continued dryly, noting the shocked expression of guilt on Noel's face, but did not stop. "She wanted, when she defeated Bhunivelze, to stay behind in the chaos to protect us, to make sure he didn't win. She wanted to sacrifice herself, all this time, so we would be happy."

"And you know what? In the end, I heard her crying." Hope's voice cracked, clenching his jaw at the memory, as more tears flowed down his face. "She _cried_ , Noel, she didn't want to be alone again. So I went back, I went back for her, reached for her hand, pulled her out, and promised that we'd be together. In that space, we were by each other's sides the whole time, but now…"

Hope furiously wiped at the tears. "Now we're strangers again. I...I'm disheartened, I'm shocked, and I'm _pissed_ beyond belief that she doesn't remember any of us. That she doesn't remember me."

Noel was standing there, gaping at him, eyes stretched wide. There was very little that could reduce the hunter to such a stunned silence, but Noel was paralyzed by Hope's rampage of words.

"But I'm going to get Light back." He stared Noel in the eye, steeling himself. "She fought so hard to let us remember the souls of the ones passed away, she wouldn't want to forget us. I don't care how long it takes, she _is_ going to come back. I won't let her be alone again."

Noel nodded, but looked back up with sorrowful eyes, too old for his youthful, teenaged face. Those were the eyes of a man who experienced centuries of loneliness, and pain.

"Hope," he whispered. "Are you sure you want Lightning to not be alone, or yourself?"

Hope turned his back on Noel. "Let's just get back to the others."

The two continued their journey back in silence.

* * *

Hope and Noel found the two girls they left behind linking each other's arms and giggling, pointing to the flowers and whispering into each other's ears. They look like they were best friends already, and Noel and Hope smiled at the view.

"Yeul, I hate to interrupt you, but it's time to go." Noel said.

Yeul gave Claire one last giggle and let her go. "It was nice meeting you, Claire."

"The same goes to you." Claire smiled.

"But before we go…" Yeul dug a pouch out of her messenger bag. "Hope, I made some herbal teas for you. For calming you down. It has lots of herbal properties."

"And for you, Claire." Noel simply dug a small, white pouch out of his pocket. He handed it to Claire, and she opened the drawstring on it. Inside, was a bracelet, made of white leather, similar to the ones Noel was wearing on his arms. Except, instead of simple beads, these also had silver charms of feathers and lightning bolts, and sparkling rose quartz stones that were the same colour as Lightning's hair.

"Oh, you didn't have to!" Light said in surprise. "I only just met you and-"

"Hey, any friend of Hope is a friend of mine." Noel grinned. "Besides, are you going to turn down my jewelry making skills?"

"You made this?" Hope arched an eyebrow in surprise.

"Hey, old man." Noel snapped back, but playfully. "I'm good with crafts."

Claire looked between the two of them, and smiled at their banter. "Thank you, Noel. Will you be joining us tomorrow?"

"Nope! I've booked a tour to go around this snail shell of a city." Noel replied.

Claire looked confused. "Snail shell?"

"The city of Paris has districts around it like a snail shell, with the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe as the center." Hope explained, but Claire still looked confused.

"Zidane...kinda explained that to me." Claire mused, eyebrows still furrowed.

"Oh boy, you better not go off on your own." Noel chuckled, shaking his head.

"That's why I have Hope." Claire clapped him on the back. "He's my navigator." She gave him a warm smile, and Hope felt a small blush starting to blossom on his cheeks.

Noel gave Hope a knowing glance. "He'll definitely never get you lost."

"Call me crazy," Claire began hesitantly. "But I can't shake the feeling I met you somewhere, Noel. Does Valhalla ring a bell?"

While Hope and Yeul made surprised faces, Noel only gave a sad, knowing smile. "It sure does, maybe we battled beside Odin, in another life."

"Another life, huh." Claire huffed, returning Noel's smile with a melancholic one of her own, that reached her lips, but not her eyes. A familiar smile that they've all seen. Her expression then brightened. "Maybe I watched too many Marvel movies."

"Are you saying I resemble Thor?" Noel bit his lip, but a smile was coming up.

"You do not." Claire retorted.

"It's been a pleasure to be around you both." Yeul said, while slightly bowing, a sweet smile on her face. They said their last farewells, and Hope and Claire watched them go.

"What's that you're holding in your hand?" Hope asked, spotting something pink.

"Why don't you find out?" She laughed, and pranced out of the way, clasping her hands around the mysterious object and holding it out of Hope's reach. Hope laughed a little, then went chasing after her. They both laughed as Hope failed again and again to grab at her hands.

"Oh alright." Claire opened up her hands. "I found this rose that fell down, it looked so lonely, I just wanted to take it with me. After all, who wants to be the last rose blooming, and face this world alone?"

Hope gently took it in his hands, and held it up, while Claire's eyes followed him. He tucked it behind her ear. It was a rose that was slightly paler than the shade of her hair, but added a delicate sweetness to her lovely face. "Looks like it belongs with you."

Claire smiled. "Thank you. Being alone in the world is a truly sad thing."

"It is indeed." Hope sobered. "But um...are you free tomorrow?"

"Want to drag me out again?" Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Maybe. For the next few days." Hope said timidly.

"My, my, Mr. Estheim." Claire teased. "Are you asking me out? On a date?"

"No, well...kinda..um...just...want to know you better, is all." Hope claimed. "You um...don't…"

"I'd be honoured." Claire said.

"You don't have to if you dont-" Hope stopped. "Wait, what?"

"I'd love to come."

* * *

I have to admit, out of all the chapters, this one was the hardest to write. Granted, there are only 3 so far, but it was emotionally taxing for me. Lightning is a character I relate to greatly, and writing her sorrow, her struggles...really remind me of myself. Also, Noel is one of my favourite characters, and it was hard trying to write about his guilt as well. I tried to balance the happiness and guilt of all the characters, because a simple apology isn't going to make everyone forget the past. It took me longer to write this than anything else, because I was so emotionally vexed because of this.

Anyways, enough of me talking. Just another few notes on the location. Yes, Paris is actually planned like a snail shell, and each area is called an arrondissement. Bois de Boulogne does have a rose garden (Roseraie de Bagatelle) and a zoo in the Jardin d'Acclimatation. I apologize because I have no idea if there's actually a fragrant rose collection in the rose garden, but I'm allowed a little artistic licence! I tried to describe everything to the best of my abilities. _Le Fantome de l'Opera_ or _The Phantom of the Opera_ is a famous French novel written by Gaston Leroux. I wanted to torture Hope with it because I thought it would be fun

yes, Noel and Yeul are now Canadian! I thought "hmm well they're from a place that is wild, and empty. Where else is it wild and empy with little people in the real world?" The first thing I thought of was Canada. I just used New Brunswick because it is also a French speaking region, its accent is different from your typical Parisian French, and I wanted it to be something other than Quebec. I am a proud Canadian after all!

I did try to weave the character's fears and guilt into the chapter. This is incredibly emotionally variant, with lots of humour but also angst. I also tried to explain a little of how the world came to be, and I put a lot of thought and time into this chapter. I hope you liked some Hope/Noel brotp-ing and Noel and Light teasing him.

Just another note, I'll be going to China tomorrow. I don't know how often I'll be able to update this fic, but I'll do try to write when I can.

I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello I'm in China right now! Thanks to Thunder of Friendship for editing the chapter!

* * *

Hope was back again in the hotel room, getting ready for bed. He was positively giddy that his plan was working out, and that Claire actually agreed to it. Then he thought back to that afternoon.

Are you asking me out on a date? Was what Claire asked. And Hope was too busy embarassing himself to actually pay attention to what she said. Even now, he internally groaned and wanted to smother his face into the nearest pillow. Sure, he loved Light, but he didn't exactlly know if he loved her this way. But right now, romance wasn't the goal, getting Light back was.

Brushing his embarrassment, he picked up his phone, and dialed Serah's number. After two short rings, she picked up the phone.

"Hope? Hello?" She said, anxiety straining her voice.

"Serah, I've got news on Claire." He responded. "She seems to...vaguely remember some things."

"That's...that's wonderful." Serah sighed with relief. "Did she remember people or…?"

"Claire seemed to remember events." Hope explained. "We went with Noel and Yeul to a park, and the surroundings seemed to spark something in her. She said Noel reminded her of a place called 'Valhalla', where they seemed to meet, and was reminded of the Gapra Whitewood when we were walking in a rose garden."

Serah went silent for a while, but it wasn't the horrid, hopeless silence that Hope had heard in their last conversation. It was a silence filled with unspoken relief and gladness that Light could actually be returned to what she was.

"Does this mean…" Serah started hesitantly, as if afraid to break a spell. "We're on the right track?"

"I really, really hope so."

* * *

Hope knew he was dreaming. He knew it, because he ended the conversation with Serah, talking about what Light liked or didn't like, and what other things could spark her memories. He also knew he went to bed, tired from walking around, and worn out emotionally.

Hope was also horrified that he was now back in the ark. Not even as an adult, it was himself at fourteen years old: the form he was forced to take thanks to Bhunivelze. It wasn't just any part of the ark. Sure, it seemed like the circular white structure it always was, but in front of him, was an imitation of Etro's throne as it stood out in the darkness. Hope felt panicked, his heart thumping, and eyes racing wildly to find an escape. He heard the sound of footsteps and was prepared to run, anywhere-

"Oh, calm down, will you?" A patronizing voice sighed. "I'm not here to hurt you, and neither is this dream."

Hope whirled around, to see a young girl twirling about. She was around the age of twelve, wearing a black dress, with aerials on her shoulder, and black clunky shoes. What struck Hope was her hair, the same colour as Light's and Serah's and pulled into a ponytail the same way Serah's did. Could it be their long-lost sister?

"Um...who are you?" Hope asked, confused now, rather than terrified now that he was stuck with a little girl.

"Well, I can't expct you to know me." The girl sighed ruefully and pranced forward to Hope, who was now around the same height as her. "My name is Lumina."

Lumina, Hope thought, the girl who talked to Light a lot during her quests. But what struck Hope again was that this girl didn't just look like Light sister, she looked like Light. IT was the same nose, eyes, and facial features, except that the face was younger and smaller. Besides, the twirling grace and mischievous smiles were the same mannerisms as Claire.

"You...are...are you Lightning?" Hope spluttered.

"Huh, I'm impressed!" Lumina clapped her hands. "Everyone seems to think I'm Serah, but leave it to Mr. Hope Estheim to figure that one out."

"So you are Light?" Hope asked.

"Kinda." Lumina sobered, and a sad expression crossed her face. "I am a part of Lightning, the part of her that she threw away. I'm her sadness, her loneliness, her fear given shape and form created from the chaos of this world. I'm the child she killed to become an adult, not afraid of anything."

"I'm...I'm so sorry." Hope apologized.

"That's not why I'm here though." Lumina snapped, but more playfully than annoyed. "I'm here to help you with your Lightning predicament. Or Claire predicament, as I should say."

"You know about that?" Hope said.

"I'm made from chaos, I know a lot of things." Lumina explained. "The unseen chaos is also Yeul, and I can see what she sees."

"That explains why you knew so much…" Hope muttered.

"Yup!" She chirped. "But hang on, listen to me. Before you came to Lightning's rescue, I was there first. I made her realize that she didn't want to be alone, she cried for help, and you answered. The truth is, I no longer exist. I'm now part of Lightning, and she has accepted me into herself."

"Then how are you talking to me?" Hope asked.

"Oh, quiet down, you do love to talk." Lumina scolded, and Hope began to redden at being admonished so easily by a kid. "We're in a dream and in the ark. Time is fluid, you're having a dream of the past."

"So if-"

"Look, do you want me to help or not?" Lumina interrupted. "If you do, please close that mouth of yours." Hope snapped his mouth shut.

Lumina smiled. "Good. What I'm trying to say is, now that Lightning has accepted her guilt, her fear, her loneliness, she's going to feel that the strongest, because she cut these feelings out of herself so long ago. Try not to hurt her, Hope, and help her deal with these feelings because she can't.

"I know you're scared about Lightning, and that you're going to ruin her happy life by making her remember the past." Lumina said. "But you have to think about Lightning too. She would never want to forget any of you, no matter how painful it is. She would never live a pretty, fake life if it didn't mean anything. Lightning loves you, Hope, and Serah, and Fang, Vanille, Sazh, Snow, Noel, Yeul...She loves all of you. And she would never want to forget that love."

"I...thank you." Hope said, tears stinging the back of his eyes. "I just wish...there was something I can do for you."

"You already did." Lumina smiled. "You accepted Claire, didn't you? Then you've accepted me."

Lumina stepped closer, her face barely an inch away from his. "Don't let yourself hesitate, Hope. Claire is actually Light. And Light is waiting for you. Sweet dreams." She placed her index finger on his forehead, and he faded into a soft, rose-coloured light.

Hope, in the real world, was sleeping with a smile on his face.

* * *

"Hey, Claire!" Hope greeted as he found her walking through the hotel lobby. It was incredibly early, with the sunlight barely streaming through the tall buildings. Claire turned, smiling. She was wearing a frilly white t-shirt and a long tan skirt, and smiled when she saw Hope.

"Good morning, Hope!" She greeted. "Where are we going today?"

"The Louvre, my friend Sazh, and his son, Dajh, want to see the new dinosaur exhibit." Hope smiled.

"That's nice, I've never actually been there before." Claire said. "Always wanted to see the Mona Lisa."

"It's a good thing we're so early then." Hope yawned. "Just a word of warning, Dajh is a nine year old boy, just in case children are not your cup of tea. Although, seeing how well you got along with Yeul, that shouldn't be a problem.

"It's okay. I love kids." Claire smiled. "Besides, if I can handle Zidane, I can probably handle anyone."

"Is he really that hard to handle?" Hope chuckled.

"Well, no." Claire admitted. "Although he does sass you and irritate you a great deal."

"How do you manage to rein him in?" Hope wondered. "I mean, 'Grumpy' and 'Spiky' don't seem to be able to."

"Oh, those two never give him the time of the day." Claire said. "They never listen to him, barely ever pay attention to him, and never take him seriously. I do. I listen, and pay attention, because I know he's paying attention and listening to all of us, so why shouldn't I do the same back for him?"

"Wow, that's a good philosophy." Hope said. "Kids...should be listened to."

"Exactly." Claire nodded. "It doesn't seem like it, but Zidane's a lonely kid. He's really self-conscious, and doubts himself a lot. Offering him a bit of my time goes a long way. He's honestly a sweet boy on the inside, and plus it's nice that he talks about me to his brother, who is, by the way, my boss in Paris. It gives me more advantages, like this short break."

"Who knows what you might gain from kids?" He mused.

"Yes, because they're not as stupid or vapid as everyone thinks." Claire rolled her eyes. "Listening to kids is important, because if you don't, they'll never be taken seriously, and they deserve as much respect as anyone. Strangely, I kinda get that feeling from you."

"That I'm a kid who needs to be taken seriously?" Hope mocked hurt.

"No!" She laughed and shoved at him. "That you should be listened to, because what you say to me is important."

"I'm important?"

"Yes you are."

* * *

"Here they come." Hope remarked as Sazh walked with Dajh beside him, holding his hand. Sazh was looking very fatherly with his plaid button up shirt and jeans, while Dajh was in a t-shirt with a cartoon dinosaur roaring, and shorts. They held hands, and Dajh was chattering excitedly while Sazh laughed on. Hope smiled: the two were as cute as ever.

"Big brother Hope!" Dajh broke off from Sazh and crashed into Hope with a big hug that knocked him back a couple of steps. He laughed, and ruffled Dajh's hair.

"How are you doing, buddy?" He asked.

"Good! Really good!" Dajh kept speeding up his sentence. "We're going to see dinosaurs and-"

"Hold on, little man." Sazh said, while dragging Dajh back a couple of steps. "Let's not overwhelm Hope here."

"It's great to see you again, Sazh." Hope said while stepping forward to shake his hand. Then he bent down, to Dajh's level. "Dajh! Did you get taller again?"

"Yup! I have." Dajh said, then turned to Claire. "Who's this?"

"I'm Claire Tonnerre, it's nice to meet you, Dajh, Sazh." She smiled and shook Sazh's hand, while Dajh watched closely with attentive eyes.

Hope had called Sazh last night and explained the situation. He was glad to see that although Dajh had met Lightning, he was doing a pretty good job of pretending he didn't, asking her who she was and what she liked, while Claire smiled and answered all his questions.

"Okay! Time to see the dinosaurs." Hope said, gesturing his hand to the direction of the entrance.

* * *

"Can you see it?" Claire popped up over the heads of the crowd.

"Barely!" Hope said, but his taller vantage point let him see the outlines of the painting. "It's much smaller than I thought it would be."

"Ugh, we've been here for, what, twenty minutes?" Claire complained, sounding annoyed.

"Pretty much, although we're somewhat closer to the painting." Hope shrugged.

"Maybe we should've just gone to another exhibit." Claire grumbled. Hope smiled, it was cute seeing her as short-tempered as she was before.

"I wasn't exactly big on seeing the puppet exhibit." Hope said. Claire and Hope had split off with Sazh and Dajh after they spent most of the day in the dinosaur exhibit. Dajh wanted to see the children's exhibit, and Claire always wanted to look at the Mona Lisa. However, the two had rushed to the art gallery, only to find a ton of tourists clamoring to get a picture of the famous painting. The pair was moving closer and closer, and they were finally in range of the picture.

"I'm a bit disappointed." Claire frowned. "After all that hype, you'd think that this painting would get bigger. Now that I've seen it, it really isn't much."

Hope had to agree. While he appreciated the mysterious smile that the woman had, the painting itself was hardly bigger than Hope's computer monitor at home. "Do you still want to take pictures?"

"No, I don't." Claire shook her head. "Let's just go find Sazh and Dajh."

The two of them peeled away from the ever-growing throng of people, and made their way to the lobby of the museum.

"This feels good." Claire mumbled as they made their way. "I've always wanted to go on a vacation, but…" She looked down guiltily, staring as if her shoes were the most interesting thing in the world.

Hope vaguely remembered how she was going to go on a vacation with Serah...until the fal'Cie had other plans. Hope remembered Lumina had said she would feel her guilt, but now that she did, he didn't know what to say, he hesitantly reached out a hand towards her, but Claire only shook her head.

They continued the rest of the way in silence.

They had agreed to meet near the spiralling staircase in the middle of the glass pyramid. Hope had to admire the architecture of the pyramid. Not only was it spacious and wide, and you didn't feel crowded amidst the crowd, but it was also quite beautiful. The glass and metal gave the pyramid a modern-day feel, even when he knew it was quite old. There was a harmonious mix of the hard edges of the pyramid and the spiralling of the stairs.

"Oh, there they are!" Hope pointed.

"Hey there!" Sazh waved and made his way over to them.

"Claire! Look at this!" Dajh waved around a shadow puppet to her.

"Woah!" Claire said. "That's awesome!" Dajh proceeded to go chat her ear off.

"Now that Dajh is distracting her," Sazh put an arm around Hope's shoulders. "We can have a talk." Sazh gave Hope a worrying, but kind smile.

"It's good to see you again, Sazh." Hope smiled. And it was true. Hope thought of Sazh somewhat akin to a father, and the older man was reliable, kind, and patient. Hope knew Sazh was getting a bit older. His black hair was as dark as always, but the smile lines around his kind brown eyes had deepened, and some wrinkles were showing when he smiled. Yet, his arm was steady around Hope's shoulders, and there was a safety that he felt.

"Now, Light doesn't remember, anything huh?" Sazh remarked. "It's kinda hard...considering she really held us all together."

"Yeah, it's difficult." Hope sighed.

"You feeling okay, my boy?" Sazh asked.

"I...I'm fine. Feeling better now that I know Light is vaguely remembering some things." He smiled.

"Hey, you were closer to Light than any of us." Sazh said, while clapping his shoulder more. "You're allowed to feel upset. And if you do, call me."

Hope beamed at Sazh, although there were tears stinging his eyes. "Thank you, Sazh, for helping me."

"We all owe a great deal to Light." Sazh said. "And we want to try to help her like she helped us. Listen, I want you to do me a favour…"

* * *

Somehow Hope and Lightning were with Dajh, riding a taxi to a restaurant. Sazh said he wanted to get something from the hotel he was staying at, and wanted to meet them there, but needed a detour. They spent the taxi ride sitting in the back, playing I spy with passing cars and streets. Currently, Dajh and Claire were competing to see who could find a red car first.

It was close to where Sazh was living, and it was a small, family restaurant, boasting the name "La Grenouille". The door was small, but the small frogs with smiles illustrated on it were inviting and happy. Hope and Claire both held one of Dajh's hand, and stepped into the friendly-looking diner. The lighting was ambient, and the chairs and tables cozy, with little frog drawings on the walls and booths.

Sazh had made reservations, and Hope, Claire, and Dajh made it to a booth near the middle of the diner. They sat down, looked at the menu, and waited for Sazh to arrive. Meanwhile, Dajh was busy counting all the frogs, and Claire was helping him with the ones he missed.

"I'm back!" Sazh announced as he slid into the seat in the booth next to Dajh. Hope sat with Claire, her eyes concentrated on the menu in front of her.

"So what did you exactly go back for, Sazh?" Hope asked.

"Now, now, young man." Sazh scolded lightly. "We're going to eat dinner first, and then we're going to talk about what I have. Dinner's on me."

"Oh, Sazh, no, we couldn't let you pay for everything." Hope protested.

"And I barely met you, you really shouldn't-" Light joined in.

"Kids, you led us around, all day." Sazh said. "I think feeding you would be the least I can do. If I were at home, I'd be cookin' something up right now, but since we're out, I'm treating you."

"But-" Hope tried again.

"No buts, young man." Sazh cut him off, waving his hand. "You're like another son to me." Hope shut up immediately, grateful that Sazh considered him that closely, and gave Sazh a bright smile.

"I'm not your kid though-" Claire also tried to protest again.

"But you're now a new member of the family!" Dajh chirped up. "Big sister Claire! Big sister Claire!"

"That's right!" Sazh chuckled. "She's now your big sister!"

"Big sister! Big sister!" Dajh chanted. Claire looked on gently, her mouth slightly open in pleasant surprised. Then, a big smile spread across her face, her eyes crinkling, and lips widening up. It was like seeing the sun rise, and Hope smiled at the sight.

"Thank you, thank you very much." Claire breathed, looking between both Sazh and Dajh. The father and son gave each other smiles and then looked at her.

"Welcome to the family." Sazh said as he reached out and pat her hand. Claire smiled gratefully at the gesture.

A blonde waitress approached them, wearing a black dress, and looked at Hope. She gave him a appreciative once-over and smiled. Hope caught her gaze, and ruffled the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Hi! I'm Estelle, and I'll be your waitress for today." The waitress said, tapping her pen on her notepad. Hope noticed she was rather pretty, with her long blonde hair, rosebud mouth, and bright blue eyes. "What would you like to order?"

"Uh, I think I'll take the cassoulet." Sazh said.

"Oh, dad, can I have the chicken burger from the kid's menu?" Dajh asked.

"Sure, my son would be taking that." Sazh said, looking at Estelle. She nodded and jotted it down.

"And you, sir?" Estelle asked Hope, smiling brightly.

"Um, I think I'll just take the macaroni and cheese." Hope said.

"Very good, sir." Estelle wrote in her pad. "And you, miss?"

"I'll take the steak and salad, please." Claire replied.

"Alright." Estelle said. "Would that be everything?"

"Yes, thank you." Sazh said.

Estelle reached out and for the menus. Hope took both his and Claire's and handed it to her. Estelle took his menu from his hands, but brushed his hand just a little longer than necessary, and smiled seductively. Hope looked away, feeling his face burning. Estelle winked, and turned back to the kitchen.

Hope risked a glance at Claire's face. Her face was a bit bored, and slightly annoyed, but quickly turned back to a smile as Dajh tried to catch her attention, telling a little story.

"-And then we saw these little chicks!" He exclaimed. "They were so cute, and fluffy!"

"You like baby birds, Dajh?" Claire asked, intrigued.

"Yeah! I love them!" Dajh squealed. "And did you know, did you know, that birds evolved from dinosaurs? That's why I love dinosaurs! And they found feather ones too!"

"Wow, I didn't know that!" Claire chimed, genuine surprise in her voice, and eyes widening. She seemed even more enraptured. She really was good at listening, Hope noticed, and smiled.

"There's this dinosaur, it's called the arch-ae-op-te-ryx!" Dajh sounded out. "It has feathers! They think it's the first bird..."

Estelle walked past them again, and winked at Hope. He saw Claire's eyes narrow, in an emotion-was it jealousy? Hope smiled inwardly, glad that Claire put some thought into it. But then she yawned, and he, in disappointment, only realized that she was narrowing her eyes in tiredness.

"Hey, Hope." Dajh tugged at Hope's sleeve.

"Hm?" Hope mumbled as he looked to Dajh.

"I think that lady likes you." Dajh whispered, and looked over his shoulder. Hope followed his gaze, and saw Estelle looking at him, who giggled and waved. Hope ducked his head, and turned away.

"Does Mr. Estheim have an admirer, got a crush?" Claire smiled that mischievous smile that reminded Hope so much of Lumina, her eyes narrowed, and lips stretched in a cat-like fashion.

"No! Claire, stop teasing me." Hope nearly shouted.

"Methinks he doth protest too much." She drawled.

"Where did you learn that line from-Zidane?" Hope crossed his arms.

"As a matter of fact, I did." Claire continued to drawl. "Fun conversation with Squall and how he didn't have a crush. Funny enough, he does have a girlfriend now and-"

"Light, we're not matchmaking here." Hope scowled, especially since now Sazh and Dajh were both laughing behind their hands. "Not in front of Dajh."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop." Claire laughed. Then she hooked her arm into Hope's and leaned closer to him while looking at him. "Besides, you said you wanted to get to know me better, right?"

Hope at this point was going to die of embarrassment. Or happiness. He wasn't sure which. Sazh and Dajh only continued to laugh.

"So Sazh, what do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking?" Claire shifted the conversation so easily, while Hope was still stuck in lalaland from her near hug.

"I build airplanes. Can't say much more." Sazh pretended to zip his mouth. "Kinda secret job."

"Quite mysterious indeed." Hope joined in, somewhat recovered from before. "You never did tell me where you worked with Sazh. I know you were living in Toulouse, are you still there?"

"I'm moving near Paris soon." Sazh said. "My job required me to transfer. I didn't just come here on vacation, we're looking at houses near the area. And since you all seem to live in Chantilly..."

"Don't tell me you're moving there too!" Hope blurted, happily. "It'd be great to have you near us."

"Trust me, kid, I'm happy too." Sazh grinned. "Nice neighborhood, lots of friends..."

"How did you guys meet?" Claire asked.

"Met him...on a trip when he was younger." Sazh chuckled. "A lot shorter back then though. Precocious, kinda shy, pretty clingy to his mother as well. Always hiding behind someone taller."

Claire's brow suddenly furrowed, and she frowned, staring down at the table. The ease in her face was gone, replaced by a tenseness and annoyance that Hope knew in Lightning.

"Big sis Claire?" Dajh said. "Is something wrong?"

Claire shook her head, and shook off her frown and tried for a smile, but it was strained. "Oh no, nothing...just déjà vu, I suppose." She then went back to frowning, staring down at a table. Hope and Sazh exchanged a look. What did she remember? Was the question on both their faces. There was a thick, heavy silence in the air, and even the chatter from the other restuarant's patrons faded to mere murmurs. Dajh and Sazh consigned to staring at the frog on the wall beside them, while Hope looked around the table awkwardly.

Hope noticed Claire looked somewhat distressed, and her fists were clenched in her lap, knuckles turning white.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hope said, while Claire just nodded automatically. Hope sighed, then prepared himself. He reached out, and took one of her hands, gently messaging it, until her palm opened. Then he put his hand in hers, and gently stroked it.

Claire looked up, and although her eyes were still a bit sad, she smiled at him, a gentle, hesitant one. Like the one she gave him back in the Gapra Whitewood.

"Your order's here!" A voice chimed. Both Claire and Hope snapped their heads to the direction of the voice. It was Estelle, balancing several dishes. Estelle looked at them, frowning a little when she realized their hands were joined. They both blushed slightly and let go.

"Alright!" Sazh said, as the dishes were placed. Estelle gave one last rueful glance to Hope, and pouted, turning away. "Let's dig in!"

* * *

"So, what is this 'surprise' you have in store for us?" Hope asked, after the dishes were cleared, and they were all enjoying dessert: ice cream. When Estelle brought it, she only gave a knowing wink to Claire, completely ignoring Hope, who was slowly turning red again, while Claire smiled back. Dajh and Claire were pratically devouring the dessert, while Hope had only taken a few spoonfuls out of it.

"Impatient, huh?" Sazh chuckled. "Okay, this might be a bit weird, but I think you'll like it."

Sazh reached into a bag, and brought out a satchel. It was a green cloth one, and it felt hefty in his hands.

"And uh-" Sazh coughed. "I'm sorry I didn't bring anything for you, Claire, it was a bit last minute for you to join us."

"It's quite alright." Claire smiled "Just...having this dinner, having the chance to meet you...it was all a present." Sazh beamed, and Dajh laughed along with him.

"Open it, Hope" Sazh urged.

Hope opened the drawstring, and took it out. He gaped, because in his hands, was a scavenger knife. The exact replica of the one that Lightning once gave him to protect him. He opened the knife, and a metal scraping sound came from it. It was exactly what he once knew it was, curved blade and all.

"Sazh...I...I don't know what to say." Hope almost teared up. "This is..."

"Very important to you, I know." Sazh nodded, then gave a fleeting glance at Claire. "I hope my memory serves me well."

"It's...it's exactly the way I remember it." Hope remarked, his voice full of wonder.

"Hope...I...hope you don't mind." Claire bit her lip, from the pun. "But, may I see it?"

"Uh, of course." He said, handing it to her.

She smiled, a sad, bittersweet smile, as she also hefted the weapon in her hand. She opened the knife, held it by its hilt, then snapped it shut. "How practical..."

"Do you want one too?" Sazh offered.

"Oh no, it's quite okay." Claire shook her head, and gave the knife back to Hope. She smiled, and Hope could swear there were tears in her eyes. It was not a mischievous smile, or a joyous one, but a self-mocking, self-hating one that he knew too well. There was a bitterness, a guard in her eyes, and a cruel twist on her lips.

Hope thought the next words would break his heart.

"Besides, it belongs with him." She scoffed. "It should be with a person who'll use it to protect, not destroy."

* * *

I would like to begin this with an apology to everyone French. The meal they had was completely americanized due to the fact that I couldn't find much information on how the French ate their meals, or anything about French cuisine because the search engines here are kinda...bad. So I apologize for how simplified the meal was OTL. La Grenouille literally means "The Frog" in French. I am not good at naming things.

Also, I have no idea if there is a dinosaur exhibit in the Louvre. I mean, there probably is, considering my local museum also has a permanent one and once had a special dinosaur exhibit. Dajh now likes dinosaurs, but which kid doesn't? I love dinosaurs, also I just watched Jurassic World so that kinda had an influence on the whole "I WANT TO SEE DINOSAURS" part of it. The archaeopteryx (I have no idea how to pronounce that actually), was a real dinosaur that existed, and was believed to be the first feathered dinosaur for a while, but there are older ones that were recently discovered. This particular dinosaur bears some resemblence to a large crow.

Estelle, the waitress that appeared, isn't a Final Fantasy character, but was semi-based on Stella Nox Fleuret of Versus XIII, who unfortunately is no more. I kinda wanted to give a little tribute to poor Stella, and named Estelle after her.

This chapter in particular, I worked in several quotes from the game into the dialogue, which I hope you enjoy. I also tried to explain how Lumina knew everything, in Hope's dream. Also HOORAY for more romance! At least some more romance hehe. I always had the headcanon that Light wasn't the jealous type while Hope was, as well as her loving children.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

It's been 85 years...and I finally update. Special warnings for this chapter: sexual innuedo (nothing explicit), and Fang. Yes, she is a warning on her own.

Chapter summary: Hope recruits the help of Fang and Vanille...although they might not be so much as helpful as shocking to Claire.

As always, thanks to Thunder of Friendship for being a wonderful editor and oh so patient with me.

* * *

"I should warn you." Hope grumbled. "That these two are weird."

"How...how so..?" Claire asked, warily.

"The redhead, her name's Vanille," Hope started. "She's very cuddly and affectionate. Loves head pats. Will hug you. There's the dark-haired one, her name's Fang, she's very blunt and well...has an interesting sense of personal space."

"How...interesting?" Claire fidgeted.

"Not as weird as you think, but still quite a bit different. She's very forward, and likes to lean down and look at your face." Hope shrugged. "Both very lovely, I assure you. And by the way, you're looking beautiful today."

Claire ducked her head. "Th-thank you." She stuttered. But Hope was telling the truth, Claire looked extremely lovely. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt that was a pretty pale pink colour with small roses that decorated the neckline, along with a string of false pearls. She was wearing a loose, dark rose skirt that both complimented her figure and colour.

"You're, uh...cute when you blush." Hope blurted, then rouged himself. Claire only laughed, but she had a flush on her cheeks as well.

"Care to tell me why we're standing outside the Arc de Triomphe?" Claire asked.

"Well, my two friends wanted to see the Champs Elysees, and let's face it, this arc is really easy to find." Hope explained. They were standing outside the encirclement that surrounded the arc, away from most of the people. It was morning, but tourists had already flocked the area.

Claire and him turned to the arc, and looked at it, heads tilting up. "Yup, pretty hard to miss."She commented.

The arc was huge, a Roman-like monument depicting several battle scenes. Its ridges were covered in neo-Classical designs, and the grandness of the arc only gave it a timeless air. If Hope squinted at the shadow under the arc, he could see the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Hope took a glance at Claire. After yesterday's dinner with Sazh, she remained quiet as she finished her ice cream, with a melancholic look on her face. After they said their goodbyes to Sazh and Dajh, Hope had asked Claire what happened, only for her to give a confused look and not remember what he had been talking about. Hope was slightly troubled, but today, the rose-haired woman beside him only had a serene, wondrous look on her face, seemingly untroubled by anything. The scientist sighed inwardly, and turned towards the arc again.

"I wonder if those two will be interested in climbing the arc." Hope mused.

"You can climb into that thing?" Claire gaped, while Hope nodded. Still gaping, she turned back to the arc. "What's that in the middle?"

"The tomb of the unknown soldier." Hope answered. "Made to commemorate all those who lost their lives in World War I, but we don't know their identity."

"It always made me sad to think of those unknown." Claire frowned, a sad tone in her voice. It was a burdened, heavy sound that Hope knew too well. "They all had parents who named them at one point...family...they don't deserve to be forgotten."

"Yeah." Hope breathed.

"I wonder what's worse. Being dead or forgotten? Or are they the same?" Claire whispered.

The two of them stared at the arc in silence, and then Hope's phone suddenly rang. He looked at the display; it was Fang.

"Oi! We're here! Which side of this blasted monument are you even on?" Fang greeted. Hope sighed. Of course Fang wouldn't bother to say hello.

"Fang, we're on the side that has the Triomphe de 1810 on it." Hope sighed.

"Never mind, I found you!" Fang exclaimed. "Turn around!"

Hope turned around, and Claire followed suit. There were two distant figures who waved furiously at them, and Hope could see Vanille bouncing at the same time. The two women started running towards them, and as they got closer, Hope could see the bright smiles and both their faces.

"Hoooooope!" Fang shouted, as she ran towards him. She looped her arm around her neck and pulled him down. "Huh, kinda hard to do this now that you're not a pipsqueak."

"Fang...let...go." Hope chocked as Fang nearly strangled him in one muscular arm. Fang laughed and released him, only for him to be enveloped in Vanille's embrace.

"It's so nice to see you again." Vanille chimed in her singsong voice. She stretched up to hug him around the neck and give him a head pat. "We've both missed you, you never visit."

"You guys never visit either." Hope said, and then smiled. "Fang, Vanille-It's great to see you again."

Hope noticed their outfits were similar to what they wore when they first met. Vanille wore an orange tube top with straps that hung around her neck, filled with beads. She was wearing a beaded necklace, similar to the one she wore in Pulse. Fang on the other hand, wore a loose, navy blue tank top with tribal patterns that showed off her bandeau underneath, and wore black, ripped shorts. She was also swathed in bracelets and necklaces of Pulse.

"Oh, but where are our manners?" Vanille exclaimed, her voice bright and a bit forced. "Who's this lovely lady?"

Fang rolled her eyes, and Hope bit his lip. It was obvious Vanille was over-doing it with the happy, but Claire only smiled at her.

"Hi, I'm Claire." She introduced.

"So nice to meet you, I'm Vanille Dia." Vanille bounced over and also embraced Claire, although without the head patting. Claire made a comedic surprised face that Hope smiled at, since he knew how huggy Vanille was with everyone, then Claire awkwardly hugged her back.

"And I'm Fang Yun." Fang stuck out her hand. "Pleased to meet ya."

"Hi, Claire Tonnerre." Claire said, as she shook her hand.

"Tonnerre?!" Fang sounded insulted. Then she narrowed her eyes and then looked Claire in the eye. "Ain't your name Farron?"

"Farron...?" Claire sounded bewildered.

"Yeah and your si-" Fang stopped abruptly, mostly because Hope put a hand across her mouth to shut her up.

"Let's just get moving, shall we?"

* * *

The four of them marched on Champs-Elysees, looking at the shops that lined both sides of the street. It was pretty crowded, especially since this street was one of the most famed shopping districts in Paris. There were a bunch of tourists, dragging paper bags full of luxury products and snapping pictures, and all the shops were full of people browsing.

"Well, we definitely can't buy anything here." Fang drawled. "Way too expensive."

"Yeah, all I see is Louis Vuitton, Prada…Ooh! There's a Disney store!" Vanille cheered.

Fang looked into the window, and Hope also followed her gaze, spotting a spiky-haired brunet holding a giant key. For some reason, an image of "Spiky", Cloud, and 'Grumpy', Squall, went through his mind.

"What is this guy, he doesn't look like a Disney character." Fang criticized.

"I heard it was for some video game that was in collaboration with Disney." Hope said.

"And what's with that giant key?" Fang asked. "Kid has to open big doors?"

"I believe that's his weapon," Claire joined in.

"A giant key?" Fang sounded insulted. "How impractical! How would you ever fight with that? You need something, say, like a spear."

"Fang, you only say that because you fight with a spear." Vanille whispered, then Claire raised an eyebrow. Hope mentally groaned, wishing these two knew the meaning of the word _subtlety._

"Why…why do you fight with a spear?" Claire asked.

"Hunting monsters." Fang replied simply.

"Uh—"

"Sometimes smacking a few people…or gods." Hope's jaw just dropped. He was trying to convey his feelings of _shut up_ to Fang through his eyes, but it wasn't working.

Claire looked at Fang like she was insane. She was still glancing at the two warily, but she looked like she was going to try to communicate again.

"So, uh, Fang, Vanille." Claire cleared her throat. "Where you guys from? You kind of have an accent."

"Australia." Fang smirked. "We both moved here from Australia." The sarcasm in her voice was apparent, and to make it more obvious, she waggled her eyebrows at Vanille, who started laughing.

"That's…nice." Claire said. "I heard from Hope you live in Perpignan…?"

"Yup!" Vanille affirmed. "It's nice and warm, a bit on the dry side. Reminds me of home."

"I heard it was very warm in Australia." Claire mused. "What do you do for a living?"

"I work as a tour guide and librarian." Fang said. "And Vanille here works in a day care and a bakery."

"I've always liked kids and cooking." Vanille sang.

"Aren't you a bit loud for a librarian, Fang?" Hope joked.

"Maybe, but I do get work done, and I get it done fast. Plus I hunt down books like no one's business." Fang said. "What about you, Hope? Slowly climbing up the ranks at work?"

"Well…yes." Hope replied. "I'm pretty…up there as a researcher."

"Good for you!" Fang cheered as she clapped his back. Hard. Hope started coughing."And what about Ms. _Tonnerre_ here?"

Claire's eyes narrowed as Fang drawled her last name. "I work for the newspaper, Le Cadran Solaire."

"Hmm. Never figured you would be a reporter type." Fang grumbled. "Aren't you more…of a soldier?"

Claire looked vaguely disturbed. "I…I wouldn't be a good soldier. I don't even know how to fight."

"The lady says she doesn't know how to fight!" Fang waved her hand, exasperatedly. "Oh, please, I've seen you easily knock down a man twice your weight with only your fist." Hope was glaring daggers at Fang and hoped she got the "shut up, Fang" message, but Fang only smiled angelically back at him.

"Uh…when did this happen?" Claire asked.

"You really don't remember us, do ya?" Fang groaned, then lowered her gaze and squinted at Claire's face.

"This is…the…first time we met." Claire ground out, seemingly getting more and more anxious by the second.

"Do you need a little memory jogging?"

"Uh—"

"Really can't believe you don't remember me." Fang sighed. "Don't cha remember? I checked your boobs for ya."

Claire just looked shocked.

"You looked really hot too." Fang _winked_ at Claire. Hope was mortified, but Vanille only giggled.

 _I can't believe I'm getting more jealous than Vanille…_

"Uh—" Claire tried to say again.

"They were impressive." Fang chuckled. "Quite an asset you got there, young lady."

Claire just stared at her open mouthed.

"And then right afterwards!" Fang continued on. "You punched me in the face! More like back-handed slapped me, but still, hurt quite a lot. Good arm strength there."

At this point, Hope gave up and put his hand on his face. But then Fang decided to loop her arm around Hope, forcing him closer to her.

"Good luck handling her in the future, Hope." Fang drawled. "Sure she'll be a real spitfire in bed."

Claire's faced drained of blood while Hope's flooded red. She stared at Fang, and then looked back to Hope, then looked back to the laughing Vanille.

"I'm…sorry…I need to…go to the washroom." Claire apologized hastily, and all but ran away from them. Hope stared at Claire's fading figure, before whirling around to Fang.

" _FANG WHAT WAS THAT!?_ " Hope shouted at her. A few tourists turned their heads back at him, and Hope only reddened more at the thought of them seeing him so rouged.

"What?" Fang looked away innocently.

"You're supposed to be a little more delicate!" He yelled.

"Nah, I think I was good." Fang protested. "Besides, she needs a little shock to remember, right?"

"Did you _have_ to be so inappropriate?"

"Which part?" Fang yawned

"Oh, I don't know?" Hope snarled. "Telling Claire her real last name? The boob part? The _sex joke_?"

"What?" Fang said. "You and her aren't together—"

"No!" Hope shouted.

"Could've fooled me." Fang grumbled. "You two looked cuddly at the end—"

"No, Fang." Hope deadpanned. "My objective here is not to hook up with Claire. It's to get Light her memories back."

"Oh, same thing." Fang waved a hand. "Besides, you're a man! You can't tell me you haven't thought of—"

"I have _never_ thought of it!" Hope screeched. " _Never_ with Light, or Claire, or any girl!"

"You never wonder how her boobs look?" Fang twanged nonchalantly. "Or how she looks like beneath—"

"Fang, _no_!" Hope shouted.

"Really now, cause I sure have—"

" _FANG_!"

"Come on, surely you—"

" _STOP!_ " Hope put his face in his hands and turned away from the crazy woman. Fang sure did love to tease him, especially about how, well, _innocent_ he seemed, and Hope had gone through this conversation a lot. But this was _Light_ they were talking about. Hope would never think of her in _that_ way. Or did he…?

"Oh, Fang, I think we should stop embarrassing him." Vanille pleaded. "His intentions are pure."

"Well, I'm definitely going to taint them now!" Fang declared, as she, again, looped her arm around his shoulder. "See, when a lady wants—"

"FANG I WILL RUN AWAY AND NEVER CONTACT YOU AGAIN IF YOU KEEP THIS UP." Hope shrieked.

"Alright, I'll stop, but a lady likes it when you—"

"Fang, I will go away, _right now_." Hope growled.

"No you can't!" Fang laughed. "I got your head under my arm! And besides, you're a scientist! Don't you want to know the _science_ behind the oldest game ever?"

"NO, NO I DON'T!" Hope continued to shriek, and tried to struggle out of her strong, iron grip.

Fang only laughed and continued to grip him harder while Vanille giggled and pat his head gently.

"What's going on?" A voice came from behind him. Fang turned, chocking Hope in the process.

Claire was standing there, looking at the scene. Hope, beet red, Fang strangling him, and Vanille patting his head.

She did what any sane person would do.

She burst into laughter.

* * *

After hours of walking, Hope was the one who called it quits. He was getting hot in his long-sleeved, white shirt and tie, with his usual khaki pants, and hungry. The girls had obviously much more stamina than he did, but they shrugged and agree to have lunch. They were sitting in, of all places, McDonalds. It was incredibly crowded, loud, full of hungry and irritated people who were seeking food. They waited forever to get their food, and forever to sit down.

"We buy something on the shopping district of Paris and the only thing we bought was a bunch of junk food." Fang sighed, as she spoke between bites of her hamburger. "Not that I'm complainin', I'm definitely hungry."

While Fang and Vanille were chatty as ever, Hope noticed Claire was still staring warily at them, especially after the conversation Fang had with her.

"Oh, we weren't planning to buy anything, anyways." Vanille said. "But that Simba toy did look very cute…"

"Why didn't you say so?!" Fang shouted. "After we're done, we're getting that Simba."

"Oh, Fang, you don't have to." Vanille swooned.

"Anything for you." Fang said, while scooping Vanille into her arms. Claire smiled, and Hope rolled his eyes and pretended to make a gagging motion to Claire, to which she laughed behind her hand.

They went back to eating for a while, and after Claire was done, she was playing on her phone, as she was scrolling, she suddenly laughed.

"Hmm?" Hope leaned in. "What's funny?"

"Just…just look!" Claire managed between her giggles.

Hope looked at the screen of her phone. In it, were her two colleagues, Squall and Cloud. Squall was snoring, sprawled across the table with his arm out and him resting his head on it. Cloud was leaning back in his chair, also snoring. It wouldn't be that funny, except that someone had drawn moustaches and happy faces all over their sleeping faces. And since Zidane also happened to be in the picture, holding his two fingers in a victory sign, grinning a devilish grin, it seems he was the culprit. Plus, across the screen, text was written "sleeping beauties" on them.

However, there was another young man, slightly older than Zidane, mimicking Zidane's devilish smile, with laughter in his brown eyes and messy brown hair.

Hope laughed. "That kid is going to _die_ when they wake up."

"Oh, I don't know." Claire laughed with him. "Zidane has a talent for getting out of trouble. Besides, those two probably deserved it."

"Oi, can we see?" Fang asked, then Claire nodded and handed over her phone. She and Vanille leaned in, and also proceeded to laugh and joke about how attractive the sleeping men were.

"Who was the other guy in the picture?" Hope asked, as Fang and Vanille continued to laugh.

"Oh, that's another colleague, Bartz, but I didn't think he'd be back already..." Then Claire looked thoughtful, and looked as if a lightbulb illuminated in her eyes. "That reminds me of something!"

"About what?" Fang quipped.

"You know…Fang, Vanille, I think I do remember seeing you somewhere." Claire chirped up, as Fang handed her phone back to her. All their attention was on her. Fang and Vanille's eyes shot open in delight and Hope leaned closer in beside her.

"There was this...anti LGBT protest in Perpignan." Claire said. "And my colleagues, Cid and Bartz, went on to report it."

Fang sighed dramatically and Vanille visibly deflated. Claire stared in confusion but continued on. "You guys were there, not protesting, but giving everyone rainbow cupcakes and kissing in front of the protests."

"Of all the things she chooses to remember about us, she chooses that!" Fang complained loudly.

"Well, it was kinda hard to forget." Claire raised an eyebrow. "Bartz did report you told him something along the lines of 'well we're gay, we can't change it, so let's just flaunt it'. Or something along those lines."

"Well it's true." Fang drawled. "Can't help who I love." Then Fang grabbed Vanille and kissed her straight on the lips. Claire glanced at Hope, and gave a small smile.

Their conversation drew a small commotion with the tables around them. While most people looked at them with curiosity, a few older people looked at them with visible disapproval. An old man was particularly hostile, and glared at them while shaking his head, eyes peering meanly out from his glasses, and wrinkles appearing all around his forehead and sparse, white hair. Fang raised her head, and met his glare, but she only shouted, "We're lesbians! Ever heard of that?"

He then turned away and minded his own business.

Hope swore he heard "Why don't I bash that book you're reading on your head?" muttered from Fang, while Vanille stroked her back soothingly. Hope smiled, having seen this behaviour from the two of them, yet Claire looked at the two women with something akin to admiration. The four of them decided to stuff their faces properly with their hamburgers, while Fang occasionally muttered some very creative insults, like "homophobic mothball" and "close-minded half-dead zombie".

"So…how old are you two?" Claire asked, picking up the conversation again.

"I'm twenty-one, Vanille is nineteen." Fang answered.

"Oh, you're my age then!" Claire remarked. "How did you come to meet Hope?"

"Let's just say…a bit of a train crash brought us together." Vanille answered before Fang could open her mouth. Hope shot her a grateful glance, for at least _trying_ to euphemize it.

"It was a _long_ time ago, Hope was fourteen." Fang said.

"Then that means you guys, were, what? Eight and six?" Claire said. "Did you know each other for that long?"

"We knew each other for a while, but _he_ was fourteen, _I_ was still twenty-one" Fang drawled. Hope just hung his head, having completely given up.

"How…how is that possible…?" Claire asked.

"Time travel." Fang said.

"Uh—"

"Plus we were turned into a crystal, then time stopped, then—"

"Fang stop." Vanille this time clapped a hand against her mouth. "You're confusing Claire."

Except that Claire didn't look confused. She frowned, and considered Fang. "So the times couldn't change you, huh, Fang?"

"Glad to have you back, Lightning." Fang reached out and clapped her shoulder.

"Wasn't I always here?" Lightning, for it was actually Lightning, smiled.

"Not always." Hope sighed.

"Hope…I—"Light began, turning towards him with tender eyes, but then a confused expression settled on her face again. The sharpness, the ferocity in Lightning's faced faded into a gentle smile that was Claire's usual expression. Hope felt disappointed, since Light was Claire again. But he turned back to Fang and Vanille, and they were both smiling sadly, and Hope could swear there were tears in both their eyes.

"I…what was I saying?" Claire shook her head.

"Shame, I thought you would remember for a sec there." Fang groaned.

"Is me…remembering that important?" Claire narrowed her eyes.

"Hell yeah. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." Fang replied simply. "I owe you big time, 'cause if not, I would never be reunited with this little trouble maker." Fang went ahead and pat Vanille on the head, who simply giggled.

Then Vanille faced Claire, and her expression became serious. "We want to help you, too. Tell us whenever you need us."

"Oh…okay." Claire said. "I'll remember that."

Then Fang turned to them, and said seriously: "You two stick together, you hear me? You guys are partners." Claire and Hope looked at each other, and nodded. Then Fang beamed.

"Everyone finished their food?" Fang sweeped her eyes around. "Because it's Simba time!"

* * *

"So, we're going up the Eiffel tower tonight?" Claire asked, as they were standing at the base of the famous tower. The sides were lit up with a golden light, and seemed to reflect the night lights of Paris.

"Yup!" Hope confirmed. "Originally, I got these tickets for Fang and Vanille, but Vanille came down with a slight fever, and Fang told us to go instead."

"Oh no!" Claire said. "I hope she's alright."

"She will be." Hope lied. In fact, Vanille was perfectly alright. She was probably at the hotel watching TV with Fang and eating. Fang wanted Hope to take Claire to the Eiffel tower, because she said there was some sort of a surprise.

Hope obliged, and took Claire with him. They both ate at the diner inside their hotel, and rode on a taxi to the tower. Hope swapped outfits, wearing something semi-formal, throwing a white blazer over his usual button-up shirt and pants. Claire also changed, into a loose mauve coloured dress with straps, and roses decorating the neckline and the waist. She wore the bracelet Noel gave her on one arm, and a cloth rose on the other. All in all, Hope had to say she looked like she did when she performed in Yusnaan, dress included.

"I must say, you're looking extremely gorgeous right now." Hope complimented her. "Elegant, sophisticated…simply beautiful."

"Oh, stop it, you!" Claire blushed, but Hope enjoyed the flush of colour on her cheeks. "You're looking dashing too. White is really your colour."

Hope beamed. "Thank you, Claire." Then he hooked his arm into hers and pointed forwards. "Shall we?"

"The lights really look nice, huh?" Hope asked Claire, but Claire didn't respond. "Hey Claire?"

Claire turned around, and drew a ragged breath. She seemed incredibly tense about something.

Hope stepped closer, and looked her in the eye. "Claire, are you okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine." Claire responded, but looked away. "Hope is it…is it strange I believe that Fang didn't utter a word of a lie? That she was telling the truth about everything?"

"No, no it's not, because Fang wasn't lying." Hope admitted.

"Noel said…something about another life." Claire breathed. "And Yeul said something about this being a new world and I…I sometimes have dreams. That I'm running through the forest, you're there, but you're a kid…and then I have dreams when you look like you do now and I—"

The elevator dinged as they reached the top of the tower. Hope ushered her out of the elevator and onto a platform.

It was nearing midnight, and there were very few people actually still there at this hour. Hope was breathless, amazed at the beauty of the city from high above. The cars were still on the road, but the lights were brilliant, and shone from every corner.

"Wow, this is sure beautiful, isn't it Claire?" Claire didn't respond. "Claire?"

Claire was gripping the edge of the railing with a death grip, her knuckles turning white, and her face as pale as moonlight. She looked panicked, and scared, and turned to Hope with panicked eyes that he had never seen before.

"Hope…I…" Claire chocked out.

"Woah!" He ran to her, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Claire, are you alright?"

"I…I…" Claire stammered, her voice cracking. She tried to say more, but a sudden boom came from somewhere else. They turned their heads to the noise, but it was only a flash of bright lights in the sky. Fireworks. Someone was launching them, and Hope had a feeling Fang was behind it.

"I sure hope they don't get in trouble." Hope muttered. "Bastille day is tomorrow, and I'm not so sure that—"

Hope turned to Claire, and noticed she was crying.

"Claire!" Hope shouted, as he grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her.

"Hope, I…I don't want to be here." She sobbed. "Fireworks…Bodhum…It was my fault…my fault."

"How…what…?" Hope stammered, then he remembered Lumina. _Lightning has her fears, and her guilt now, and doesn't know what to do with them…._

"I hate being up here." She cried. "I feel alone. Valhalla, for years I was stuck, with no one for company. I looked out from Etro's palace and I saw nothing…nothing…"

"Light, I'm here!" He shouted, because this was _Lightning_ talking to him, not Claire. Not the happy, blissful girl, but the burdened, tormented soldier that he knew. "Light, I—"

"And it's my fault." She sobbed once again. "I couldn't protect her, my sister…I couldn't protect you…I deserve to be alone…I…"

"Light, no!" Hope shouted. "You have no idea—"

"I don't remember her name…" Light whimpered. "I…I…" Her chest heaved, and her breath came shortly and rapidly.

Hope couldn't bear it, couldn't bear to see Light cry any more. He took her hands off the railing, and massaged them so they relaxed, then, boldly; he tipped her head up, looking at her eyes, like violets in the rain. She looked at him, full of doubt, but Hope pressed his forehead to hers, and their eyes were barely an inch away from each other, their noses touching. He kept stroking her hands, and while she looked at him, her sobs quieted.

They stood in silence for a while.

"You…you've gotten so much taller." Light whispered. "You tower over me now."

"Well, being older than you helps." Hope chuckled.

"Of course." Light said. "I keep forgetting, you're older than me now…" Then she looked down. "And all those years…where was I?"

"Hey Light, Light, look up." Hope whispered, and Light met his eyes again, their foreheads still touching. "You were protecting us, protecting all of us. I missed you being far away, but you were there for us."

"And what good did that do?" Light scoffed. "The world was still destroyed."

"But you gave us this one." Hope pointed out, and smiled. Light met his eyes, but doubt was still swimming in them. "I only ever made it this far because I believed you were with me, that you watched over me."

"I…I did watch over you." Light admitted. "Valhalla…I…I saw visions. You were there. You seemed so strong, and capable…like you didn't even need me."

"Light! Light, no, I'll always need you." Hope cried. "I did say I would always stay by your side, right?"

"...Even if the world hated me." Light echoed. "But Hope, I'm not the Lightning you once knew. I'm not as strong, I'm just an ordinary person—"

"And I've always been an ordinary person, Light." Hope laughed. "We can be ordinary, together."

"You deserve to be happy." Lightning muttered. "And you can't have that with me I—"

"Of course I can have that with you!" Hope snapped. "You were the one who always believed in me, weren't you? You helped me, so is it that hard to accept my help?"

"I guess not." Light said. Then there was another bang, and more fireworks decorated the night sky. They flashed in pinks and greens and blues, brighter than the stars. The two of them turned away from each other, still holding hands.

"Fireworks…flash bright…then fade away." Light whispered. "They make loud, scary sounds. Why do people insist on using them?"

"There's a legend that goes with that." Hope said.

"Really?" Light asked, turning to him.

"Yes, a Chinese one." Hope said. "It's about New Years. Every single time, at the beginning of the New Year, a monster comes, and its name is Nian. It steals children, then eats them. But what the villagers found out, is that they never eat children wearing red clothes, and that it was scared of noises. So the villagers lit up bamboo, and it made loud sounds. Soon, Nian was scared away. That was the invention of the firecrackers, and soon, after the invention of gunpowder, they made fireworks. Even today, after thousands of years, they still light up fireworks on New Years in China, and I heard they are the most spectacular thing in the world."

"That's…that's a nice sentiment." Light mumbled. "Scaring away the monsters, and having happiness in the New Year."

"See?" Hope turned to Lightning. "Fireworks are beautiful things. They protect us. They also give their beauty, their colours to the world, no matter how short they last."

"But Lightning…destroys…" Light muttered.

"Yes, but how did we invent electricity?" Hope brushed back Light's bangs. "Because we were intrigued by lightning. It drove us to figure out how static electricity worked, and we're still trying to harness it for power. It might be dangerous, but we are captivated and want it nonetheless."

"When did you get so good with words?" Light chuckled, for the first time since coming up the tower.

"Apparently now." Hope laughed, then put his forehead on hers once more. "I'm usually still pretty damn awkward."

"Doesn't seem like it." The former soldier grumbled. "You seemed pretty fine talking to Claire."

"You remember that?" Hope groaned

Light raised her eyes to meet his. "Yes, as Lightning, I remember everything Claire Tonnerre does. However, Claire doesn't remember the things I do. So Hope, if I wake up next morning, and I turn out to be Claire instead, I won't remember this conversation."

"Will anything I do help you remember?" Hope whispered.

"Yes," she replied. "Just...being with me helps."

The two of them just stood, holding each other's hands in silence, while Light closed her eyes with a soft sigh. Hope took advantage of their close proximity to peruse over the details of Lightning's face. Her face was not as relaxed as Claire's was, and there was more of a guarded, guilty expression Hope knew well. Her face twisted into a small frown, and there was a tiredness, somehow, in her features.

"Hey, Light?" Hope prodded gently.

"Hmm?"

"What did...what did you remember yesterday at dinner?"

Lightning's eyes snapped open in alarm, and Hope shivered at the spark of their electric blue fire. She abruptly let go of his hands, turned to the city lights, and gripped the cold metal railing.

"Light..." Hope whispered as he reached out a hand, stopping as Light put up her own hand towards him. Hope awkwardly put his hand down and stood behind her.

"Hope...it...it was about you." Light whispered, looking out towards the city, and refusing to look into his eyes. "When I first met you, Hope, I thought you were a burden, and I didn't take care of you. Odin had to smack me into not being an idiot, for not taking care of you. I still feel guilty about that."

Lightning then suddenly wheeled around and looked at him, eyes wide and glistening with tears. "Can you forgive me for that?"

Hope gently took her hands. "What is there to forgive?" He whispered. "Didn't I always tell you, it's because of you that I made it this far?"

Light smiled, shyly, looking at Hope with bright eyes. "Thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you instead." Hope insisted. "And now, no matter what, don't be scared to tell me what's wrong, okay?"

"Okay," Lightning nodded. "It's just that...I'm still scared. Sometimes. About the future and what I should do."

"Don't be," Hope said. "The future is something we all don't know, we can only wish to be better." Hope smiled. "Sometimes...it's not a question of can or can't."

"...Some things in life you just do." Lightning finished, looking into Hope's eyes with her vivid gaze. "It doesn't matter if I'm scared, I just gotta take it slowly, right?"

"Exactly!" Hope said. "Besides...all you need to do is keep moving forward, I'll be there to help."

"Guess I just have to keep my eyes up front." Lightning smiled.

"And I'll be watching the rear." Hope finished solenmly

The two leaned into each other, touching foreheads again, listening to the sounds of the city below.

Hope breathed, closing his eyes, and he could swear he could smell the scent of roses on the wind.

"No matter what, Light. I promise. We'll be together."

* * *

I would first like to start off this author's note with an apology.

I was originally going to write a lot more and a lot sooner, but then I just came back from China and was pretty sick for a while. And then I started university, and moving in was kinda hard and I thought, hey let's wait until I adjust a little. Unfortunately, my mental health has been slowly on the decline for the last several months, and I won't go into much detail, but I experienced a giant lack of motivation and nothing was written. Until now. So please accept this apology and treat this like a Christmas present from me to you :)

Onto lighter topics, I hope everyone caught the Sora and Kingdom Hearts reference, a series where a lot of Final Fantasy characters appeared! (Like Squall and Cloud!). I don't think the Disney store would ever sell KH merchandise, but I thought it would be a funny addition.

I do like to include some of my political ideologies, especially given the small section to LGBTQ+ things with Fang and Vanille. Believe it or not, they are my otp of otps and I ship them even harder than hoperai. Whoops. I should write something about them eventually.

I have no idea if you're allowed to go on the Eiffel Tower at night. Probably not though. Bastille Day is a holiday and they have a lot of fireworks. That is all I know I am sorry.

The legend of Nian and the fireworks is an actual legend told to me when I was younger! I did my best to translate over the details :)

This chapter was more emotionally charged and shippy, and by far one of my favourites. I really enjoyed portraying their emotions, from happiness to angst. Also, Fang was such a joy to write about, and her straightforward manner makes a lot of uh...inappropriate jokes easier to make.

Thanks for reading.


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